Government shutdown: Frequently Asked Questions
How long do they have to settle this?
The current funding resolution expires at midnight on April 8….
Why does Congress wait so long to pass the budget?
Under a budget law passed in 1974, the House and Senate are supposed to approve the 12 appropriation bills funding the federal government by Sept. 30, the last day of the fiscal year. It almost never happens.
In the past 16 years — 10 of which were controlled by Republicans, four by Democrats and two with mixed leadership in the chambers — Congress did not meet its statutory deadline for approving the spending bills. ….
Years when the party in power is politically vulnerable and on the verge of ouster tend to be the most difficult times….
What’s the thinking on who’s going to get blamed?
Most Democrats believe the presidential bully-pulpit gives them the advantage if there is a shutdown. Former Democratic Party chairman Howard Dean said as much last week during a television interview.
This assumption is based largely on the shutdowns of 1995 and 1996, when GOP majorities on Capitol Hill earned the blame and then-President Bill Clinton benefited politically.
Are shutdowns common?
Not in recent years. Six shutdowns occurred between fiscal 1977 and fiscal 1980. An additional nine occurred between fiscal 1981 and fiscal 1996. The most recent shutdown stretched from mid-December 1995 until early January 1996.
How long do shutdowns normally last?
Shutdowns in the 1970s and 1980s ranged from three days to 17 days, according to the Congressional Research Service (CRS). A five-day shutdown occurred in November 1995, and a shutdown stretching from mid-December 1995 to early January 1996 lasted 21 days — the longest in modern history…..
If a shutdown occurs, what would stay open and who would have to work?
We won’t know for certain until it happens.
Federal agencies are drafting contingency plans ….agencies should continue any functions providing for national security, critical foreign relations and the safety of life and property.
With the growth of government contracting and the wider use of technology, however, an untold number of contractors providing information-technology support and other services might also be instructed to stay on the job.
How many federal workers would be impacted?
The first 1995 government shutdown led to furloughs for about 800,000 federal employees, according to CRS. The second 1995-1996 closure impacted only 284,000 federal employees, because several of the regular spending bills had been passed in the meantime.
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