13 Sep, 2023
Past Government Shutdowns: Key Resources [Updated September 13, 2023]
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Murray, Justin; Wilson, Carol (Research librarian)
From the document: "When federal government agencies and programs lack budget authority after the expiration of either full-year or interim appropriations, they experience a 'funding gap.' Under the Antideficiency Act (31 U.S.C. §§1341 et seq.), they must cease operations, except in certain circumstances when continued activities are authorized by law. When there is a funding gap that affects many federal entities, the situation is often referred to as a government shutdown. In the past, there have occasionally been funding gaps that led to government shutdowns, one of which lasted 21 days, from December 16, 1995, to January 6, 1996. A shutdown occurred at the beginning of FY2014 (October 1, 2013) and lasted for a total of 16 days. Subsequently, two comparatively brief shutdowns occurred during FY2018, in January and February 2018, respectively. The longest shutdown occurred in FY2019--beginning at the end of the day on December 21, 2018, and lasting 35 days. The relevant laws that govern shutdowns have remained relatively constant in recent decades. However, agencies and officials may exercise some discretion in how they interpret the laws, and circumstances that confront agencies and officials may differ over time. Consequently, it is difficult to predict what might happen in the event of a future shutdown. Still, information about past events may offer some insight into possible outcomes and help inform future deliberations. This report provides an annotated list of historical documents and other resources related to several past government shutdowns. Sources for these documents and resources include the Congressional Research Service (CRS), Government Accountability Office (GAO), House and Senate Committees, Office of Management and Budget (OMB), Office of Personnel Management (OPM), and Executive Office of the President. When possible, the report includes links to full-text documents."
    Details
  • URL
  • Authors
    Murray, Justin
    Wilson, Carol (Research librarian)
  • Publisher
    Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
  • Report Number
    CRS Report for Congress, R41759
  • Date
    13 Sep, 2023
  • Copyright
    Public Domain
  • Retrieved From
    Congressional Research Service: crsreports.congress.gov/
  • Format
    pdf
  • Media Type
    application/pdf
  • Subjects
    Government spending policy
    Politics and government
    Administrative agencies--Finance
    Budget process
  • Resource Group
    Reports (CRS)
  • Series
    CRS Report for Congress, R41759

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