As the year approaches its end, the US is once again facing a government shutdown that could affect thousands of workers and disrupt some services. And it could happen as soon as this weekend.
On Tuesday, Congress reached a bipartisan deal to keep the government open until at least mid-March, but it was quickly rejected by President-elect Donald Trump, who has called for a debt ceiling increase. Trump and Vice President-elect JD Vance released a joint statement on the issue, calling on Republicans to call Democrats a “bluff.”
“Republicans must GET SMART and TOUGH,” Trump and Vance wrote in a joint statement on Wednesday. “If the Democrats threaten to shut down the government unless we give them everything they want, call their bluff.”
The more than 1,500-page bill included a number of extras within the funding package, ranging from disaster relief to pay increases for lawmakers. The add-ons drew criticism from many GOP lawmakers.
On Thursday, a pared-down, Trump-backed version failed to pass the House of Representatives, with some 38 conservative lawmakers siding with 197 Democrats. The House voted 235-174 to reject the spending bill, saying two-thirds of the House was needed for passage.
The debates in Congress continue as time passes. Here’s a look at what Tennesseans can expect when the federal government closes its doors.
When is the deadline for the federal government shutdown?
The government has until midnight on Friday, December 21 to pass a continuing resolution, an emergency measure so that the government does not close its doors and thousands of government employees are put on leave for the holidays. If this is not met, non-essential employees will be placed on furlough.
The threat of a government shutdown is not new for 2024. The threat of a shutdown also loomed in February, but was resolved before it happened.
What happens if the federal government shuts down?
If a federal government shutdown occurs, all officials and federal agencies not considered “essential” must cease work.
According to the U.S. Office of Personnel Management, there are currently 32,437 civilian federal employees in Tennessee.
Who will be affected by a federal government shutdown?
Those who would feel the greatest losses are not the members of Congress who will keep their paychecks during the shutdown, but members of the military who would serve without pay, numerous federal employees who would be furloughed, people who rely on WIC benefits to maintain their to keep babies. nourished and much more.
Federal employees deemed “essential,” such as air traffic controllers and emergency responders, would work without pay but would receive back pay once the shutdown ends.
What is the debt ceiling?
The debt ceiling is the amount of money Congress can borrow to pay bills it has already agreed to.
First established in 1917, the debt ceiling is a legislative ceiling that must be raised by a majority vote in both the Senate and House of Representatives. The vote promises no additional spending. It merely increases the limit on the amount of money the government can borrow to repay obligations already agreed to by Congress.
Once a routine vote in Congress, it has now become highly partisan and serves as a lightning rod in the debate over government spending.
“Raising the debt ceiling isn’t great, but we’d rather do it under Biden’s watch. If Democrats won’t work on the debt ceiling now, what makes anyone think they would do so in June, during our administration?” Trump and Vance said this in their statement. “Let’s have this debate now.”
Will a government shutdown affect flights? Other trips?
The good news is that even if the government shuts down your vacation plans, they probably won’t be ruined.
Normally flights are not affected when a shutdown first occurs, but delays may occur if the shutdown lasts a while.
The government workers that people normally interact with at airports or seaports during cruises are considered essential workers, meaning they will not be paid during the shutdown. Funding for agencies such as the Federal Aviation Administration, Transportation Security Administration and Customs and Border Protection would be suspended, generally impacting hiring and training matters.
The last government shutdown in 2019 lasted longer than a month. During that time, essential personnel such as FAA controllers and TSA agents continued to work without pay. According to media reports at the time, they began not showing up for work after about two weeks.
A government shutdown is also estimated to cost the country’s travel economy as much as $140 million per day, according to an estimate from the US Travel Association.
Will my social security still come if the government shuts down?
Yes.
The money for Social Security benefits is not part of the federal government spending debate now underway, but is a separate fund that is not part of the appropriations process.
Social Security has “dedicated funding, so it’s outside the budget process,” said Craig Copeland, director of wealth benefit research at the Employee Benefit Research Institute. ‘All that money is there to be paid out. It doesn’t have to be appropriated. … You’ll still get your checks.”
Which programs are not affected by a government shutdown?
Other programs that will still be funded if the government shuts down include: military veteran benefits, medical care, and food benefits under the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP).
Will Medicare benefits still be paid during a government shutdown?
Medicare benefits will continue, although some payments may be delayed.
Who does and does not get paid in the event of a government shutdown?
Thousands of federal government employees will be put on furlough if the government shuts down, but others considered essential workers, such as the military, law enforcement and others, will continue to work. None of these employees will be paid during the shutdown, but will receive back wages once the agency they work for is funded. In previous years, Congress would vote on whether employees would receive back pay, but after the 2019 shutdown, it was made mandatory for employees to receive it.
Government contractors – who performed nearly $700 billion in government work last fiscal year – are not guaranteed any late payments.
When has the federal government been closed in the past?
There have been 21 government shutdowns over the years. The last was in 2019 during Trump’s first administration, which lasted 35 days.
This is when shutdowns have occurred since 1976:
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1976: Under Republican President Gerald Ford. Took 11 days.
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1977: Under Democratic President Jimmy Carter. Lasted 12 days.
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1977: Under Carter. Lasted eight days.
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1977: Under Carter. Lasted eight days.
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1978: Under Carter. Took 17 days.
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1979: Under Carter. Took 11 days.
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1981: Under Republican President Ronald Reagan. Took two days.
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1982: Under Reagan. Took one day.
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1982: Under Reagan. Lasted three days.
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1983: Under Reagan. Lasted three days.
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1984: Under Reagan. Took two days.
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1984: Under Reagan. Took one day.
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1986: Under Reagan. Took one day.
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1987: Under Reagan. Took one day.
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1990: Under Republican George HW Bush. Lasted four days.
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1995: Under Democratic President Bill Clinton. Lasted five days.
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1996: Under Clinton. Lasted 21 days.
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2013: Under Democratic President Barack Obama. Took 17 days.
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2018: Under Republican President Donald Trump. Lasted three days.
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2018: Under Trump. Lasted several hours.
USA Today contributed to this report.
This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: When will the government shut down? What Tennesseans need to know
