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
China is NOT a nuclear “peer” of the United States, as some contend.
China’s total number of approximately 600 warheads constitutes only a small portion of the United States’ estimated stockpile of 3,700 warheads.
The Federation of American Scientists strongly supports the Modernizing Wildfire Safety and Prevention Act of 2025.
The Federation of American Scientists strongly supports the Regional Leadership in Wildland Fire Research Act of 2025.
In an era of such massive sweeps upending federal programs, increased transparency is even more important to provide the public with the knowledge necessary to respond and hold the government accountable.