Recently there’s been a lot of talk circulating the government and its likelihood of passing the annual budget bill. As of January 20, it was predicted that the government could shut down at approximately 12 am., which hasn’t happened since 2013. So what takes place when a government shutdown occurs, and what’s currently happening?

To simply put it, every year in October the House of Representatives comes together to pass a budget bill, which outlines all of the spending that the government is going to need for the year and the funding the government will receive. Then, once the House votes and passes it, it goes to the Senate, and the Senate must have 60 people approve the legislation because of the filibuster power, and then finally it moves to the President of the United States, Donald Trump. If Trump chooses to veto the bill, then a government shutdown will occur.

So what does a government shutdown mean? Basically any non-essential federally funded programs such as some national parks, zoos or museums, will be closed. The shutdown would also affect the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. Basically these workers aren’t getting paid by the government so they don’t show up to work, which could potentially cost the economy millions of dollars, as it did it 2013.

Essential programs include the military, postal service, and the president, who would still come to work.

The government has not been able to pass nor agree on a budget bill since October, so they have been prolonging the process. However, Trump has been very vocal that he will not pass the bill unless there is enough money for him to build his wall.

On Saturday, January 20 the Senate could not come to budget bill agreement, and the Federal Government shutdown. Congress has been scrambling since, and by the looks of it, neither the democrats nor the republicans seem willing to budge.

Senior Savannah Ryan stated, “ I actually didn’t think that the government would shut down especially since Mr. Weber described it as both party’s last resort. I honestly don’t know how long the government will be shut down but I feel that we may be here for a while.”

The government’s main argument is over a bitter spending on both sides and is largely due to immigration. As for the government shutdown, this is the first time in history that the government has shut down under one-party rule.

As of January 22 the government was up and running again, after another budget bill was passed.