A government shutdown occurs when Congress is unable to pass appropriations bills that finance the operations of federal agencies and programs, such as the National Institutes of Health or the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program. These appropriation bills are designed to fund the government until the conclusion of each fiscal year, which ends on September 30. When no new appropriations bills are enacted, the government must rely on temporary measures such as continuing resolutions (CRs) that sustain funding at current levels until a bipartisan budget agreement can be reached.
During a shutdown, the FDA curtails many non-essential activities, including approving drugs and medical devices, responding to outbreaks of flu and foodborne illness, pursuing some investigations when the public’s health is at risk, monitoring and responding to emerging infectious diseases, and supporting state and local efforts to combat the spread of communicable disease. In addition, the CDC must curtail many activities that promote immunization, support community-based interventions to prevent illness and death, and update disease treatment and prevention recommendations.
On the other hand, mandatory spending that is not subject to annual appropriations and funding (such as Social Security, Medicare, veterans benefits, and military operations) continues during a shutdown. Also, programs that receive a portion of their funds through permanent user fees (such as immigration services funded by visa fees) are generally exempt from a shutdown.
While it is unclear how long this impasse will last, a government shutdown could impact the lives of millions of Americans in a variety of ways, from the halting of food safety inspections to long lines at airport security checkpoints and flight delays. In the past, when shutdowns have occurred, most furloughed employees were immediately brought back to work once a bill was passed to reopen the government and restore funding.
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