The Economist explains

What happens if America’s government shuts down this weekend?

For starters, millions of people will not get paid

WASHINGTON, D.C., USA - JANUARY 18, 2021: A view of the US Capitol Building. Washington, D.C., tightens security measures ahead of the inauguration of US President-elect Joe Biden scheduled for January 20. Yegor Aleyev/TASS (Photo by Yegor Aleyev\TASS via Getty Images)

ON SEPTEMBER 26TH American lawmakers returned to Washington, DC, with yet another government shutdown looming. The federal fiscal year begins on October 1st, but Congress has yet to appropriate the funding needed to keep the government running. The Senate has approved a bi-partisan bill that would prevent a shutdown until November 17th. But Kevin McCarthy, the Republican speaker of the House of Representatives, does not seem likely to convince hard-right members of his party to vote for stopgap funding. On September 22nd the White House ordered federal agencies to prepare for what would be their fourth shutdown in a decade. What happens when America’s government shuts down?

From the September 30th 2023 edition

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