4 Key Things You Need to Know About Government Shutdowns

1) Many Functions Continue Despite Shutdown

Even if there is a funding lapse, federal activities (and employees) deemed “essential” will continue to draw from the national treasury. Examples include national security, border patrol, law enforcement, disaster response, and more. In addition, funding for many benefits (such as Social Security) along with some agencies (such as the Postal Service) are independent of the annual spending process. A lapse of under two weeks would have even less effect since federal employees would get their paychecks on time. However, longer shutdowns are typically coupled with providing back pay to bureaucrats and congressional staffers. Accordingly, the real-world effect of a shutdown would be much less than the apocalyptic rhetoric that often characterizes press coverage of the issue.

2) Shutdowns Reflect Failure to Budget

The federal government’s fiscal year begins on Oct. 1 and ends on Sept. 30.If Congress fails to pass the annual set of spending bills (referred to as appropriations) by the end of September, the government’s ability to spend becomes limited due to important legal safeguards against executive agencies spending without legislative approval. This provides information and recommendations on the full spectrum of federal activity. By mid-April, Congress produces a budget resolution to establish spending guidelines. Over the late spring and summer, appropriations committees draft 12 pieces of legislation to provide spending allowances for federal agencies, with varying degrees of specificity. Congress hasn’t completed the process on time since 1997. With Republicans and Democrats divided over the proper size and scope of the federal government, negotiations over both overall spending levels and item-by-item authorizations usually drag out well past the Sept. 30 deadline.

3) Presidents Can Make Shutdowns Worse

A classic example of the swamp in action is what’s referred to as “Washington Monument Syndrome,” where a government will make a spending cut or funding lapse as painful as possible by closing down low-cost, highly symbolic things. The Obama administration implemented this strategy in 2013 by blocking access to open-air public facilities, such as the World War II Memorial, even though keeping such areas closed and guarded was more expensive than normal operations. While there’s no indication as to how President Joe Biden plans to handle a potential government shutdown, the administration’s radical approach to issue after issue doesn’t bode well.

Many things the federal government manages are important and necessary. Shrinking the endless list of federal responsibilities would make the country less vulnerable to congressional dysfunction. ( Following a wildly destructive spending spree that has pushed the country down the road to bankruptcy and hyperinflation, that’s a debate worth having. Originally published by Fox NewsHave an opinion about this article? Remember to include the URL or headline of the article plus your name and town and/or state.

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