Did US government shut down last night? What does it mean? Everything you need to know
Parts of the US federal government remain closed during the shutdown, while President Donald Trump has warned that they will fire federal employees.
The US federal government shut down much of its operations at 12:01 AM on Wednesday, October 1, after a deadlocked Congress failed to strike a deal to extend funding for the federal agencies. According to Reuters, this sets off what appears to be a long standoff that might lead to the loss of thousands of federal jobs in the country.
This is the first shutdown under President Donald Trump's second term and the 15th since 1981. It is expected to halt the release of the September employment report, suspend scientific research, and slow down air travel. It could lead to the furlough of nearly 750,000 federal workers, costing the US economy nearly $400 million per day, Reuters reported. The government shutdown started hours after the Senate rejected a short-term spending measure, which could have kept operations afloat until November 21.
Government shutdown: What does it mean?
Congress allocates funding during every financial year for the federal agencies to operate. But when lawmakers fail to agree on appropriations or a temporary spending bill, in such cases, several federal agencies need to effectively shut down or stop normal spending, as per the Office of Personnel Management.
Also, there are various jobs or services that have been deemed essential. These continue to operate as usual in the case of a government shutdown.
In the current case, Congress failed to reach an agreement over funding appropriations for the new fiscal year before its 11:59 PM deadline for September 30. Due to this, several government agencies in the US effectively closed operations starting from October 1 at midnight.
Also read: Over 150,000 US federal workers to resign this week, largest exodus in history
Government shutdown: What is open, closed?
Among the agencies likely to be affected are the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the National Institutes of Health, among others.
It will impact air travel as well, with more than 11,000 FAA employees expected to be furloughed. Air traffic control services will continue as usual. This will allow 13,227 air traffic controllers to work through a shutdown. But they will work without pay until the government is funded again, NBC News reported.
Essential services, such as Social Security, air traffic control, Medicare, and the US Postal Service, will not be impacted by the government shutdown.
This means that Social Security benefits will go on despite the shutdown. Recipients will continue to get their payments. But the Social Security Administration is expected to face a furloughed workforce, which could lead to delayed processing of new Social Security applications.
As per USA Today, government employees working under non-essential services, like national parks, might face the biggest impact of the ongoing shutdown. During this period, they are typically furloughed and only receive back pay after they return to work.
Several federal law enforcement agencies, including the FBI and CIA, will continue to operate, and their employees will remain on the job. But they will be unpaid until the shutdown ends. Also, the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) remains fully staffed for the first five days of the shutdown.
Government shutdown: How long will it last?
The US has witnessed as many as 21 federal government shutdowns since 1977. They lasted for a total of 121 days. Among them, the longest shutdown lasted for 35 days, while the shortest one was for only a few hours.
FAQs
Has federal government shutdown started?
Yes, the US government partially shut down at 12:01 AM on October 1.
How many government shutdowns has Donald Trump faced?
This is the fourth shutdown in Donald Trump’s two terms.
When will it end?
As of now, it remains unclear how long a shutdown could last.
