Beginning October 1, portions of the federal government were shut down following a failure of Congress to pass appropriations bills for funding. This document includes resources that will help you understand the causes of the current shutdown, its effects on you, and the consequences of a potential breach of the debt ceiling.
This isn't the first time that the government has shut down. Some might remember a major shutdown in 1996, but there have actually been 17 times that government funding has lapsed since 1976. In the event of a shutdown, federal workers are classified by their departments as either "essential" or "nonessential". "Essential" employees continue to work during a shutdown, although their paychecks might be delayed. A list of shutdown contingency plans by agency may be viewed here.
How can you tell what's closed and what's open? CNN has a detailed chart which lists agency status, number of employees, and additional notes. The Wall Street Journal offers a similar tool which provides an estimated percentage of employees on furlough. For more information about how the shutdown impacts you directly, you might view this page, which collects individual stories from social networks. The Washington Post lists additional consequences here, including the shutdown's effect on coal mine monitoring and burro adoptions. Further resources about the shutdown are listed below.
Entitlements like Social Security payments are not expected to be affected by this shutdown. However, if the government reaches the legal limit on borrowing called the debt ceiling, it's possible that payments might be delayed or only issued in part. The nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office has estimated that the limit might be reached between October 22 and November 1. This page will be updated to reflect changes and new events.
Additional Resources
- "Planning for Agency Operations During a Potential Lapse in Appropriations" — a memorandum from the Office of Management and Budget which includes answers to common questions.
- Shutdown of the Federal Government: Causes, Processes, and Effects — A Congressional Research Service publication that outlines the typical causes and consequences of shutdowns, derived from historical examples.
- Absolutely Everything You Need to Know about How the Government Shutdown Will Work — an impressively exhaustive list from the Washington Post
- Why Other Countries Don't Shut Down Their Governments
- Reaching the Debt Limit: Background and Potential Effects on Government Operations — a report by the Congressional Research Service
- U.S. Debt Ceiling: Costs and Consequences — a summary of the history of the debt limit and the implications of its breach
- If you wish to contact an elected official from any branch of government regarding this or any other situation, Vote Smart makes it easy. Simply enter your address and you'll receive a list of your current representatives. Each entry includes contact information, both locally and in Washington.
A People's Guide to the Federal Budget
352.4973 P41
Furgang, Kathy
Understanding Budget Deficits and the National Debt
339.523 F98u
Congress A to Z
R 328.73 C74 2008
Checks and Balances: the Three Branches of American Government
Find out why Congress has the power to pass or block government funding in this ebook
This is only a partial list of our resources. If you'd like more information, please contact the library at (304) 343-4646 or by email at webmaster@kanawhalibrary.org.
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