The President and Congress cannot continue to play political brinkmanship that brings the country to the edge of a government shutdown. We urge them to fulfill their most basic responsibility and pass a funding bill to keep the government open for the people it serves.
The impact of a government shutdown goes beyond lost paychecks and delayed benefits. It is a gut punch to the morale of the men and women who work for the government. Many have devoted their lives to their work, whether it is weather forecasting, producing GDP statistics, or providing cybersecurity. Shutting down their workplace is like telling them that their work doesn’t matter.
In previous shutdowns, agencies have found ways to remain operational by leveraging budgetary reserves and prior year carryover funds. But as the shutdown stretches on, these resources will begin to deplete. As a result, projects stall and critical work is delayed. This includes efforts to sustain the military’s readiness, cybersecurity capabilities, and public health services, as well as investigations of sensitive national security matters.
A shutdown will also disrupt federal contractor workforces. These workers help sustain the efficiency and effectiveness of agency operations and are often critical to vital work, such as defense logistics, homeland security, and intelligence systems. Shutdowns can have ripple effects, interfering with contracting plans, halting hiring and reducing productivity, and hampering innovation.
During this shutdown, some federal employees are considered “essential” and must stay on the job without pay until the budget dispute is resolved. Those include law enforcement officers, who are legally obligated to perform their duties, and the National Park Service staff, who are tasked with maintaining the safety and security of parks, visitor centers, and museums.