A government shutdown is triggered when Congress doesn’t pass appropriation bills funding federal agencies and programs for the upcoming fiscal year. These bills include a wide range of activities from the National Institutes of Health to air traffic control. If Congress fails to enact them by the deadline, the agencies must stop all non-essential functions, though some programs like Medicare and Social Security continue to operate. Typically, lawmakers can buy themselves more time to finish the bills by passing a continuing resolution.
In the past, funding gaps lasting longer than a day or two have resulted in a government shutdown. A shutdown would affect most non-essential services, including border protection, in-hospital medical care, power grid maintenance and law enforcement. But the Justice Department says it will have contingency plans so that criminal cases such as the investigation of former FBI Director James Comey won’t be delayed or affected.
In addition, the Department of Veterans Affairs would have a plan to ensure most medical services are delivered. But the agency would not be able to collect copayments for veterans’ prescription drugs or help them get access to suicide prevention grants and homelessness assistance. Other federal programs that depend on appropriations funding, such as food stamps and the issuing of student loans, could be affected. The Congressional Budget Office estimates that the country would lose more than $11 billion in economic output during a prolonged shutdown. And if the shutdown continues for weeks, the US economy would feel the effects of lower consumer spending and a disruption to supply chains, such as those for construction materials.