Our government has until tomorrow to come to an agreement on a spending bill in order to not face a complete shutdown. While it’s a funny scenario to imagine Senators Lindsay Graham and Cory Booker partnering up on a cross-country road trip ripped out of Judd Apatow style bromance during their forced time off, this shutdown may put everyday Americans out of work and affect your everyday life in ways you may not have thought about yet.
Here is how the government shutdown could affect you in your everyday life:
Closing of government-run agencies
If the government cannot come to an agreement, it is estimated that around 850,000 federal employees will be forced to stay home. This will include agencies like the parks department, government-funded museums and people who work for the commerce and labor departments, and many other federal positions would be considered furloughed and those people would be prohibited from working.
To be clear, this time off will not be a paid vacation for these federal employees. Many federal employees who were furloughed in the 2013 shutdown had not received back pay until a judge ruled in their favor last February. Even then, those employees only received partial compensation for the amount of time they were kept away from work.
The government will only be keeping on “emergency” federal employees to make sure that everything is running somewhat smoothly during the shutdown. If you are unsure if your job will be affecting, have a look through this comprehensive guide provided by the United States Office of Personnel Management.
Unemployment and other government payments
Because the commerce and labor departments will not be operational during a government shutdown, those who rely on unemployment insurance and other government assistance like food stamps will experience delays or reduced payments. Although, VA Secretary David Shulkin, has reassured veterans will receive benefits regardless of a shutdown.
A huge blow to the economy
According to Time Magazine, the last time their government shutdown in 2013 it took roughly $24 billion dollars out of the U.S. economy. That is a lot of money considering that the shutdown only lasted for 16 days.
With Trump rejecting a bipartisan deal on immigration reform, things are looking bleak as we approach this deadline. And as fighting continues on both sides regarding government funding, our economy could take a beating if there isn’t a quick resolution.
Just remember, the government will keep the bare essentials in order to keep our society from divulging into complete anarchy. But with so many people relying on the machine to run efficiently, a government shutdown could make life come to a screeching halt.
