If the Senate fails to pass a stopgap spending bill by midnight, funding will lapse, and the government will begin shutting down at 12:01am. This means a wide variety of services will be disrupted, including military pay, veterans’ programs, air traffic control, TSA operations and disaster relief. Some deemed essential services like in-hospital medical care, law enforcement, border protection and power grid maintenance will continue, but if there is a prolonged shutdown, services such as Medicare or Social Security cheques and replacement cards will likely be suspended.
In a memo to agencies, the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) said it expects that many employees will be furloughed during a lapse in funding. This is a break from previous years, when most affected workers were returned to their jobs once Congress voted to reopen the government and funding. The Trump administration has been using the threat of furloughs to leverage its budget fight with Democrats.
In addition to direct federal workers, a significant number of Americans work for private companies that contract with the federal government. When the government is shut down, these workers may be put on unpaid leave and not receive back pay once a funding deal is reached. States that depend on federal reimbursements to cover costs of running the government could also face financial hardship.
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