When Congress and the President fail to agree on government appropriations and previous funding expires, the result can be a massively disruptive shutdown of the federal government. This occurred most recently in October 2013, and lasted for 16 days.
“Government shutdowns have necessitated furloughs of several hundred thousand federal employees, required cessation or reduction of many government activities, and affected numerous sectors of the economy,” according to a newly updated report from the Congressional Research Service. See Shutdown of the Federal Government: Causes, Processes, and Effects, updated May 5, 2017.
“Our country needs a good ‘shutdown’ in September to fix mess!” tweeted President Trump last week.
Other new and updated reports from the Congressional Research Service include the following.
Job Creation in the Manufacturing Revival, updated May 5, 2017
The Meaning of “Made in U.S.A.”, updated May 5, 2017
Review of Offshore Energy Leasing: President Trump’s Executive Order, CRS Insight, May 5, 2017
Navy Force Structure and Shipbuilding Plans: Background and Issues for Congress, updated May 5, 2017
Iran’s Presidential Elections, CRS Insight, May 5, 2017
We came out of the longest shutdown in history and we are all worse for it. Who won the shutdown fight? It doesn’t matter – Americans lost. And there is a chance we run it all back again in a few short months.
Promising examples of progress are emerging from the Boston metropolitan area that show the power of partnership between researchers, government officials, practitioners, and community-based organizations.
Americans trade stocks instantly, but spend 13 hours on tax forms. They send cash by text, but wait weeks for IRS responses. The nation’s revenue collector ranks dead last in citizen satisfaction. The problem isn’t just paperwork — it’s how the government builds.
In a new report, we begin to address these fundamental implementation questions based on discussions with over 80 individuals – from senior political staff to individual project managers – involved in the execution of major clean energy programs through the Department of Energy (DOE).