The federal government is on track to shut down at midnight. As the clock ticks down, neither Democrats nor Republicans appear to be ready to compromise on funding. President Trump has refused to back a bill without his promised wall money, and House Democrats have been unwilling to negotiate with him. This impasse has left low-income families’ wages, housing, nutrition, health, and mobility in jeopardy.
Every department and agency needs a certain amount of funding to operate, and it is Congress’s job to allocate those funds. Congress typically succeeds in passing the required annual appropriations bills before funding expires. But when it fails, the Anti-Deficiency Act requires that departments and agencies unable to secure new funding stop operating. Excepted activities relating to the “safety of human life and protection of property” may continue, but federal workers are generally furloughed. When appropriations are reinstated, they receive back pay.
Some agencies, including the Postal Service and entitlement programs like Social Security and Medicare, remain open during a shutdown because they are funded through permanent appropriations that don’t need to be renewed each year. But parks and services such as trash removal, campgrounds, and Smithsonian museums can close, and disaster relief efforts in areas affected by hurricanes and wildfires could be impacted.
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