Government shutdowns disrupt operations and limit the ability of agencies to achieve their missions. They halt contracting cycles, delay new projects and disrupt research in fields as diverse as national security and public health. Shutdowns also hurt private businesses and communities that rely on federal services, from air traffic control and the military to food inspections and federal law enforcement.
During shutdowns, most federal employees are furloughed—prohibited from work and unpaid—or required to continue their duties without pay if they’re considered essential, like airport screeners and medical personnel in hospital emergency rooms. Congress has historically approved retroactive payments to these workers once the government reopens.
But a few programs and services are exempt from the budget fight, such as Social Security benefits, Medicare, and the Post Office. And while the last shutdown lasted 21 days, it did not have a significant impact on the US economy.
This shutdown, however, is different. Democrats are using the threat of a funding lapse to force new far left policy demands, including taxpayer-funded healthcare for work-ready adults and illegal immigrants, that have nothing to do with keeping the government running. Meanwhile, some of their own members are preparing for a political retreat at a luxury resort, showing that they have little interest in helping to reopen the government.
It’s time for Congress to stop playing the brinksmanship that has led to a government shutdown, and pass the appropriations bills that keep our government running. The President cannot end a shutdown unilaterally, but he can approve the bills to reopen the government.
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