Factbox-US government shutdown: what does it mean?

Published Sep 08, 2023 06:04AM ET Updated Sep 08, 2023 05:45PM ET
© Reuters. A U.S. Capitol Police Officer walks a K-9 dog in front of the Capitol amid talks over government funding, as the threat of an October government shutdown looms on Capitol Hill in Washington, U.S., September 6, 2023. REUTERS/Julia Nikhinson/File photo
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(Reuters) – Large swaths of the U.S. government could temporarily close on Oct. 1 if Congress does not approve spending bills due to a dispute between far-right Republicans and other lawmakers.
Here are some facts about U.S. government shutdowns:
WHY WOULD THE GOVERNMENT SHUT DOWN?
Congress must allocate funding to 438 government agencies each fiscal year, which ends on Sept. 30. If lawmakers don’t pass those bills before the new fiscal year starts, those agencies will be unable to continue operating as normal.
There have been 20 shutdowns since the 1970s, according to the Congressional Research Service. The most recent one was also the longest, lasting 35 days between December 2018 and January 2019 due to a dispute over border security.
Lawmakers often temporarily push that deadline back by extending agencies’ current funding levels in a