We are now four days away from a potential government shutdown and the media is all  a flutter over whether or not the shutdown will occur. We will likely know for certain late in the evening on September 30th—hours away from the end of the fiscal year.

But you are probably wondering why we are here in the first place? What happens if we shutdown? And why is a U.S. Senator from Texas reading bedtime stories on the floor of the Senate?

Hopefully we can get some of your questions answered.

Why is the government potentially shutting down in the first place?

According to the Washington Post “There are wide swaths of the federal government that need to be funded each year in order to operate. If Congress can’t agree on how to fund them, they have to close down. And, right now, Congress can’t agree on how to fund them.”  The end of the fiscal year occurs at 11:55pm EST on September 30th. If Congress does not pass some sort of a budget, or something called a Continuing Resolution (which helps fund programs until a more formal budget can be passed), then money will run out and the federal government will shut down.

The main problem right now is that some members of Congress want to add language to the legislation that would fund the government that would either defund or delay the Affordable Care Act (aka Obamacare). The President and Democratic leaders in the Senate have said they will not sign or pass any budget bill that uses the threat of a government shutdown to roll back a healthcare law that has been the law of the land since March 2010.

What happens when a shutdown occurs?

A shutdown would have profound impact on the operations of our government.  Funds that help states pay for Unemployment Insurance could be cut off. Head Start programs would close and school would be out for almost a million kids.  The National Institutes of Health will stop accepting new patients for clinical research. The Centers for Disease Control will stop monitoring diseases. The National Park Service will close all their sites, including Yosemite National Park and the Lincoln Memorial. Visas and passports will stop being processed. And a number of services for veterans including health and welfare services could be disrupted.

What happens to government employees during a government shutdown?

It is not 100% known which agencies and programs would be affected by a government shutdown (the Office of Budget and Management makes this decision usually right before a shutdown occurs) but normally only “essential personnel” get to go to work, everyone else has to stay home (and not collect a pay check). Those normally deemed essential are air traffic controllers, those overseeing the banking system, border patrol, members of the military, operators of the power grid, food-safety inspectors….and of course members of Congress.

But many other government employees will be sent home with no pay. During the 1995-1996 government shutdown it was estimated that upwards of 800,000 government employees were furloughed.

Will the mail still get delivered? Will I get my Social Security or Medicaid check?

The mail will get delivered since the Postal Service is not fully reliant on government funds. Assistance programs like Medicaid, Medicare, and Social Security will still make payments, but if a new claim is issued or an address change has to be made, chances are that won’t get processed during the shutdown

I still don’t get it….what does the healthcare law have to do with funding the functions of our government?

Normally? Nothing! But since some members of Congress hate Obamacare so much they are pulling out all the stops, holding the functions of the government hostage, and attempting to deny healthcare to millions of people.

This sort of wild behavior is the type of thing that led Senator Ted Cruz (TX-R) to take to the Senate floor for a 21 hour talkathon arguing against Obamacare, while dispensing little tidbits like his love for Whitecastle hamburgers  and reading Dr. Seuss’ Green Eggs and Ham.

How does a government shutdown end?

If the government shuts down, it will remain shut down until Congress passes a bill that funds the government and President Obama signs it.

However, those in Congress who are attempting to hold our government hostage in order to stop tens of millions of people from getting healthcare coverage are unlikely to back down unless the people on Main Street say, “Enough is enough!”

Are you concerned about keeping the doors of government open for funding K-12 education, medical research, SNAP, Head Start, maintaining roads and bridges?  Tell us about what programs you care most about and we’ll share your thoughts with our leaders.