For the second time in less than four months, a government shutdown is looming as negotiations in Congress continue between Republicans and Democrats.
On Tuesday, the House passed a spending bill that would temporarily fund the government until Sept. 30. With that bill’s passage in the House, the Senate is now tasked with approving the same bill to get it to President Donald Trump’s desk before Friday night’s deadline.
The Senate was expected to vote on the final passage of the bill on Friday morning.
Here is what you need to know about a potential government shutdown, including when it would kick in and what would happen.
Current funding expires on Friday night. A shutdown would be triggered if a funding bill is not passed and signed by Trump by 11:59 p.m. ET Friday night.
A shutdown would mean the furlough of thousands of federal workers and a reduction of federal services.
A potential freeze in the federal government comes as billionaire Elon Musk and his Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) continue to lay off and cut thousands of workers from various federal government agencies.
This week, federal agencies faced a deadline to provide Trump administration officials with plans for a reduction in force, a dramatic downsizing of the nation’s more than 2 million federal workers that will occur over the next few months.
Although the word shutdown sounds like a complete stop, that is not the full picture. Federal agencies classify their workers either as “essential” or “nonessential.”
Workers identified as essential continue to work, but might not be paid right away. On the other hand, nonessential workers are furloughed and are not allowed to work or to be paid until the government reopens.
About 800,000 federal employees went without pay for 35 days during the longest-ever U.S. government shutdown in 2018 and 2019, as USA TODAY previously reported.
Both retirement and disability benefits proceed without interruptions. Medicare and Medicare benefits also continue, but some delays could be seen due to a government shutdown.
Similarly to Social Security, veterans continue to receive their benefits and medical care. Programs like the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) will also continue, though there could be minor disruptions.
All active-duty U.S. military personnel stay on the job, but about half of the Pentagon’s 800,000 civilian employees could face furloughs. Another part of the military that would stay on the job would be the National Nuclear Security Administration, which oversees nuclear weapons.
Federal law enforcement agencies, including the FBI, DEA and prison staff will remain operational. The Secret Service and Coast Guard will continue their duties.
National parks, monuments and other sites will close to the public, with rangers furloughed and facilities shut down. Some states may temporarily fund park operations, as seen during the 2018-2019 shutdown.
Border Patrol and immigration enforcement agents will continue working. However, local governments will not receive new aid for migrant shelters.
Airport security screeners and air traffic controllers will remain on duty, but new hires and some major infrastructure projects could face delays. Absenteeism, as seen in previous shutdowns, might impact airport operations.
Lawmakers will continue to receive paychecks during a shutdown, while staffers will be furloughed, though essential personnel will still work.
During past shutdowns, the White House furloughed a significant portion of its staff. Essential offices, like the National Security Council, will continue operating, while others will be scaled back. The president’s salary remains unaffected by a shutdown.
Contributing: Reuters; Jeremy Yurow and Sudiksha Kochi, USA TODAY
Fernando Cervantes Jr. is a trending news reporter for USA TODAY. Reach him at fernando.cervantes@gannett.com and follow him on X @fern_cerv_.
