What Does a U.S. Government Shutdown Mean?
- Large parts of the federal government need to be funded each year to operate
- If Congress cannot agree on how to fund them, those parts of the government shut down
- During a shutdown, federal workers are separated into excepted and non-excepted employees
- Excepted must continue to work, and will be paid when Congress funds the government again
- Non-excepted are furloughed and not guaranteed to receive back-pay
- Parts of the government dealing with national security and public safety and those with independent funding like the Postal Service continue to operate
- Other parts shut down, including National Parks, the EPA and the processing of visa and passport applications
- The last government shutdown lasted 21 days and ended on January 6, 1996