For the first time since 2019, the government has shut down. It shut down on October 1st and as of October 27th, there is no end in sight. Many have heard the term “government shutdown”, but very few people know what it means. A government shuts down when Congress is unable to pass bills that fund programs and agencies run by the government. The government failed to pass legislation regarding the 2026 fiscal year, which started on the same day the shutdown began.
So, what are the effects of this? Well, all government workers will not be paid until the shutdown ends. Non-essential workers are being put on unpaid leave until further notice. For services deemed essential, such as law enforcement, in-hospital medical care workers, and more, they continue to work without pay. This shutdown affects massive amounts of people, from delayed flights due to air traffic controller shortages, to delayed research projects at the CDC.
The longest government shutdown was in 2019, during Trumps first term. It lasted for 35 days. This shutdown caused short-term and long-term effects on places you wouldn’t expect. Such as National Parks. At least 7 people died at National Parks due to lack of staff and inability to respond to emergencies quickly enough. Although the shutdown occurred in the winter months from 2018-2019, the shutdown delayed preparations for the following hurricane season. Keep in mind, hurricane season doesn’t start until July/August. The shutdown ended in January.
My aunt is an IT project manager for the government. When asked about her predictions on when it will end, she says, “I don’t know when it will end. I don’t even have a good guess right now. I’m just watching the news every day for any updates.” Regarding the long run effects of the shutdown, she says she hopes it will highlight the importance of the services provided by federal government agencies.
A shutdown only ends when legislation is passed through Congress, and the president signs it into law. This shutdown will cause short-term and long-term effects, as we have seen in the past. So, when do you think the government will open back up?
https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/crrj1znp0pyo
