Among some of the government’s most cardinal functions are Social Security, maintaining the military, paying for Medicare and Medicaid, as well as a host of other crucial business. No government agency is permitted to spend money without Congressional approval, which isn’t guaranteed to happen on time each year. When this process fails to happen, it’s called a government shutdown, and we came very close to one just a few days ago. However, the spending bill that was used to stave off this shutdown was just a stopgap measure. The legislative branch now has 30 days to pass a more comprehensive package that will address all of the federal government’s needs for the next year.
Every year, the government has to sign into law 12 appropriations bills, one for each of the appropriations subcommittees that exist. These dictate where all the funding from our taxes and loans we take out go to. Unless a clear decision has been made on where the funding goes, nothing happens. This has happened only 14 times in history, all since 1980. Some lasted as little as four hours, while the longest lasted 34 days, and they have almost always occurred during a period of divided government; Either the two houses of the legislature opposed each other, or they are both opposed by the executive which needs to sign whatever appropriations bill is passed.
The potential government shutdown would have included a wide array of agencies given that none of the appropriations bills have been passed by the Senate. Military personnel, as well as FBI, DEA, and other law enforcement agents, would have remained at their posts, but how long they would have been paid for is unknown. Half of the Department of Defense contractors would’ve been furloughed and the Pentagon could only award new contracts in special cases involving immediate national security. Federal courts would have remained open until October 13th. Most benefits such as veterans benefits, social security, and Medicare/Medicaid would continue to be paid, but potentially with future consequences.
If no new appropriations bills are passed, all of these services would have less money in their war chests and would last for even less time than they currently would. The short-term spending bill ensured normal funding for the 45 days. However, it came at a hefty cost.
Firstly, there was no additional funding for Ukraine existing within the package. The Pentagon still has several billion dollars to spend on sending aid to Ukraine, but it does cast doubt on whether the next full appropriations will not include additional aid to that country.
Secondly, it cost Kevin McCarthy his job. Kevin McCarthy was the Speaker of the House until he recruited Democratic support to introduce the 45-day package. This was to work around hardline Republicans within his own party who were using the potential shutdown to further their own aims of cutting funding for programs like Social Security and Medicare, as well as introducing cultural war issues. This would come back to haunt him, as McCarthy was soon voted out of office, and a new House Speaker has yet to be elected. Without a Speaker of the House, the House of Representatives is without a leader. It is without direction, and the odds of it passing an appropriations bill without direction are slim. If a new House Speaker is not elected within the next 2-3 weeks, we will probably be headed into another shutdown.
