What Actually Shuts Down During a U.S. Government Shutdown

A U.S. government shutdown, once just a specter, is now an imminent possibility. Without agreement on the 12 appropriations bills that guide annual spending, the U.S. has been operating since Oct. 1 on temporary funding provided by a "continuing resolution." Funding was due to run out after Dec. 8 but has twice been extended, most recently through today. Republicans and Democrats in the U.S. Congress have to keep passing short-term extensions or reach accord on a trillion-dollar spending plan for the rest of the fiscal year. Barring that, the U.S. at midnight will encounter what’s officially called a "spending gap," which triggers a carefully prescribed, but still disruptive, halt to Washington’s work.

Many, though not all, federal government functions are frozen, and many, though not all, federal employees are furloughed. Agencies in the executive branch, the one with the largest workforce and budget, regularly review shutdown plans that spell out what work must continue, and how many employees will be retained, during a "short" lapse (one to five days) and one that lasts longer.