Like many teenage girls, hearing about this “government shutdown” invoked a big-time sense of anxiety because what does that even entail? After conducting some research, I can answer this for you in a way that hopefully eases your mind a bit and lessens some of the intimidation about what it all might mean to an American college student.Â
A government shutdown occurs when Congress fails to pass a government spending bill. Essentially, the government’s authorization to spend any money (for certain “non-essential” services) is suspended until this bill is passed. With that being said, many federal workers will be put on unpaid leave until an agreement is reached, voted on, and passed. Â
So…which agencies are affected? All agencies have their own plans for a shutdown, so you can find more information about specific programs and entities by visiting the .gov websites. But, in general, it seems (for now at least!) that Medicare, Medicaid, the military, law enforcement, homeland security, passport services, the USPS, and air traffic control operations are NOT impacted as they are considered “essential.” Â
Other government operations are not similarly protected; the Federal Housing Administration will stop approving applications for housing loans, the Small Business Administration will not accept, review, or approve any new small business loans, the Library of Congress, the Supreme Court, and the U.S. Botanic Gardens are all closed. Around 40% of Health and Human Services personnel and 75% of National Institutes of Health staff (those considered “non-essential”) are furloughed, respectively. Â
Some entities have committed to remaining open until funding runs out or a spending bill is passed, whichever comes first: the Smithsonian (through October 6th), the Federal Judiciary (through October 17th), and the Federal Trade Commission (within about 3 weeks), among others. What’s making this all the more challenging, is that many federal workers are still expected to come to work but not get paid for their time (although the expectation is that they will be paid retroactively, once the shutdown ends…while hopeful, that doesn’t do much to help personal cash flow issues that likely occur when one stops getting paid!)
If you are still overwhelmed, it is important to remember that recovery is likely and that life, although significantly disrupted, goes on. While the shutdown period and the subsequent recovery process are surely more uncertain for federal workers, we can anticipate and hope that the economy will bounce back quite quickly. None of this is pleasant, especially for the federal workforce and all of us who depend on their many contributions, but we Americans are known for our grit and tenacity. Let us all join together to ask our political leaders and legislators to work toward compromise, collaboration, and mutual respect to bring about a quick and much-needed solution.