What Happens When the Government Shuts Down?
Getting into the nitty gritty details
Due to the possibility of a government shutdown occurring tomorrow, I am sending out this week’s newsletter early.
I hope we will soon receive news that a shutdown will be avoided, but regardless of the outcome, it’s important to understand what happens to federal operations if this occurs and what impact it could have on us. Let’s take a look at some government resources available (and not available - see the following three paragraphs) on this topic.
First, a Brief Aside
I think it would be helpful if USA.gov, as the main centralized resource on federal government benefits and services, featured a page that explained clearly what a government shutdown is and its potential impacts. While media outlets have certainly been covering this topic on a general level1, and there are government websites that address it in some regard (more on this below), it should be quick and easy to access information directly from the government on the repercussions we face if a shutdown occurs.2
Some Alternate Strategies
Here are some government resources I suggest looking at, especially if you want to get detailed information on what government shutdowns entail, appropriations at stake, and what federal agencies will do in the event of a shutdown:
Congress.gov currently features links to FY25 appropriations legislation and statuses on the homepage:
Congress.gov homepage. Accessed December 20, 2024. Search the Congressional Research Service (CRS) for reports on government shutdowns. The CRS is a federal legislative agency that sits within the Library of Congress. The CRS provides nonpartisan research services to members of Congress. The reports they produce are public and typically provide plain-language, but detailed, overviews of issues. Here are a few reports to start with (copy the report number directly into the search bar on CRS’s homepage to access a .pdf copy).
R47693: Government Shutdowns and Executive Branch Operations: Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ). Updated September 24, 2024.
R41759: Past Government Shutdowns: Key Resources. Updated May 15, 2024.
RL34680: Shutdown of the Federal Government: Causes, Processes, and Effects. Updated December 10, 2018.
R47693 focuses particularly on how federal agencies prepare for and are impacted by shutdowns. It notes that the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) provides links to all agency shutdown plans on its website. Here’s how to get there:
Go to https://www.whitehouse.gov/omb/. Click on “Information and Guidance” listed in the right column.
OMB Homepage. Accessed December 20, 2024. Select “Agency Contingency Plans” from the list shown below.
You will land on a list of links to individual agency contingency plans hosted on agency websites that explain how operations will be adjusted in the event of a lapse in appropriations. This involves the type of operations the agency will continue or cease to perform, how staffing will be affected, if and how furloughs will be implemented, etc.
I noticed a few dead links when I was browsing through the plans - if you run into this, try going directly to the agency’s website and searching for their contingency plan there.
If the shutdown proceeds, it may also be useful to look at agency websites’ press release sections for updates on their operations.
Conclusion
Let me know in the comments what other resources you find helpful on the topic of government shutdowns, or if you agree/disagree with my suggestion that a centralized government resource about shutdowns would be useful (or, if you find one in existence that you think is already doing the job, let me know!). I’m also interested in what questions you would want answered in such a resource.
Until next time.
USA.gov does have a page about the federal budget process.