What does a Government shut down really mean

The good news is that, for now, a US Government shutdown has been averted for at least 45 days. But how did we get to this point? A lot of organizations that depend on funds from the government to keep going have let out a sigh of relief, at least temporarily

- Thera Martin

Museums and national parks would close, and roughly three in five workers - out of a federal civilian workforce of roughly 2.2 million - could have been barred from working.

Furloughs would hit 62% of employees at the U.S. Centers for Disease Control, an agency at the center of America's fight against the COVID-19 pandemic, according to an agency shutdown plan.

And get this, the people who are enlisted in the U.S. Armed Forces, their paychecks would stop if there were a government shutdown. Can you imagine that? Our soldiers wouldn’t get paid but would still be expected to show up for work.

Federal workers can stay on the job--if being away puts lives or property at risk. But many would have to work without being paid until funding is approved. And those in less critical roles would definitely be furloughed.

The Department of Health and Human Services' shutdown plan pledges the CDC "will continue full support" for public health needs. But the budget headache could still be a distraction.

According to Reuters News Agency, after the funding expires, some workers can clock in briefly to set department shutdowns in motion, such as choosing who would be exempt from furlough and adding a shutdown message to government voicemails.

Shutdown plans in the past have included suspending processing of applications for firearms and passports. Much of the government would continue on autopilot, having no impact on the government's ability to pay bills even as it nears a $28.9 trillion debt limit.

Even with furloughs, the Treasury Department would make debt payments and mail Social Security pension checks. Soldiers could still fight wars, but many civilians in the Department of Defense would be furloughed.