Government shutdown

A government shutdown occurs when Congress and the president fail to enact funding legislation before existing appropriations expire. Under the Antideficiency Act, federal agencies may not spend money or incur obligations without an appropriation, so they must stop non-essential work and furlough employees.

Activities involving the safety of human life or protection of property, such as border patrol, air traffic control, law enforcement and military operations, continue, with workers often paid later. Mandatory programs such as Social Security payments generally proceed because they are funded by permanent law. Congress usually provides back pay to furloughed employees after a shutdown ends, and it has done so by statute since 2019.

Shutdowns occurred several times in recent decades, including a 35-day partial shutdown from December 2018 to January 2019, the longest at that time. Disputes typically center on policy demands attached to a continuing resolution or appropriations bill. Each party tends to blame the other, and polls on who bears responsibility vary. Critics call shutdowns costly and disruptive; some members argue they are a legitimate means of forcing spending concessions. Proposals for automatic continuing resolutions would remove the leverage entirely.