US Government Shutdown

ELI5 - What is a government shutdown? How does it even happen?

A government shutdown happens when the U.S. Congress can’t agree on how to fund the federal government for the next year or even short-term. Basically, Congress needs to pass a budget or at least a temporary spending bill—called a continuing resolution—to keep the government running. If lawmakers hit gridlock, money stops flowing to many federal agencies, and non-essential workers get furloughed (forced off work without pay), while essential employees like airport security and military personnel still work, but often without immediate paychecks. Shutdowns usually happen because of big political arguments about things like spending priorities, debt limits, or controversial policy decisions, and they can slow down the economy, disrupt public services, and leave hundreds of thousands of workers in financial uncertainty.

By Alex 22 days ago