Federal government shutdowns can be disruptive, with thousands of workers furloughed and most of them not getting paid on time. Taxpayers won’t get calls returned, there may be longer lines at airports during one of the busiest travel weeks of the year and many national parks will close.
And yet many of the routine functions of government — things like national defense, benefit checks and mail delivery — continue as usual.
The uniquely American phenomenon of the partial government shutdown — a symptom of divided government, a dysfunctional budget process and a constitutional system that requires the House, Senate and president to agree on a spending plan — affects every federal agency differently.
In principle, a law dating back to the 19th century prohibits federal agencies from spending money “exceeding an amount available in an appropriation” from Congress.
Because Congress usually only appropriates money year-to-year, that means there’s a threat of a shutdown every Oct. 1, when the new fiscal year begins. This year, as in many recent years, Congress passed a short-term extension into December.
But there are exceptions. Government agencies responsible for health, safety and protection of property can continue, which includes military personnel, homeland security and food inspections.
The president must continue to carry out his constitutional responsibilities. So much of the White House Office, the Office of the Pardon Attorney and the U.S. Trade Representative will remain open.
And a number of federal entities — including the Federal Reserve and the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau — aren’t funded by annual appropriations from Congress and can continue running off their own funding sources.
Good news for those looking to travel by train or send a last-minute package for the holidays: Amtrak and the U.S. Postal Service are also among those entities that will continue operations during the shutdown.
The Office of Management and Budget requires every executive agency to submit a contingency plan in the event of a shutdown — technically known as a “lapse in appropriation.” Here are some highlights:
Federal Employees
About four in 10 federal employees will be furloughed and barred from doing any work under a law that prohibits agencies from accepting volunteer labor. Essential employees will work without pay.
High-ranking federal officials confirmed by the Senate are always exempt from furlough.
Before the 35-day shutdown that began in December 2018, Congress passed a law codifying the practice of retroactively paying federal workers — both furloughed and essential workers — after the shutdown ends.
But paychecks would be suspended in the meantime, often resulting in higher rates of absenteeism.
And constitutional officers — like the president, members of Congress and judges — must be paid under the Constitution.
Travel
The Federal Aviation Administration and Transportation Security Administration provide essential safety functions and would continue.
But travelers could still face delays: Air traffic controllers and TSA officers would be without pay, which has led to higher rates of no-shows during past shutdowns.
U.S. consulates and passport offices will operate as long as they can on their fees.
Parks & Museums
Most national parks would likely be shuttered, turning away visitors and crippling businesses in the $800 billion outdoor recreation economy.
Easily accessible sites would generally remain so but without customary staffing and resources, potentially resulting in uncleaned toilets and increased litter.
Museums including the Smithsonian and National Gallery of Art could close in a protracted shutdown.
Cemeteries, monuments and visitor centers worldwide housed under the American Battle Monuments Commission would also shutter.
Inauguration
The inauguration of a new president is mandated under the Constitution, and would go on even if the lapse in spending lasts to the Jan. 20 event.
Congress has already appropriated $3.7 million for inaugural ceremonies, and all of the heightened security around them would be also be exempted from a shutdown.
Inaugural balls and other festivities are privately funded through the Trump-Vance Inaugural Committee, which has already gotten pledges of million-dollar donations from corporate sponsors like Amazon.com Inc. and Meta Platforms Inc., and personal support from Citadel Securities’ Ken Griffin and OpenAI’s Sam Altman.
Still, transition activities — President Joe Biden’s administration handing off policy and administrative details to incoming Trump appointees — would be restricted in the event of a shutdown, White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said.
Health & Social Security
Medicare benefits would continue, as would new and continuing Social Security checks. But some administrative actions — things like benefit verifications, corrections to earnings records and replacement cards — would be delayed.
The National Institutes of Health’s hospital in Bethesda, Maryland, would remain open to care for current patients, and research activities would continue where shutting them down would disrupt ongoing clinical trials.
Safety-net food assistance programs would continue.
Medical care at veterans hospitals and clinics would go on, as would suicide prevention programs, medical and prosthetic research and burial benefits.
