If the enactment of annual appropriations acts or an interim continuing resolution does not occur before the beginning of a fiscal year (October 1), a temporary funding gap may occur.1 If a funding gap begins and funding does not appear likely to resume during the first calendar day of the gap, the federal government generally begins a “shutdown” of affected activities. The House and Senate Appropriations Committees have been organized in 12 subcommittees, with each subcommittee responsible for developing and managing the consideration of one regular appropriations act. It is possible for Congress to enact some of the 12 appropriations acts, but not others, before the beginning of a fiscal year. This would lead to a partial government shutdown of the activities covered by appropriations acts that were not enacted in time.
This CRS report is intended to address questions that arise frequently related to government shutdowns and how executive agency operations and executive branch employees may be affected by shutdowns.2 The questions generally proceed chronologically through various processes that precede a shutdown, events that may occur during a shutdown, and events that occur in the wake of a shutdown.
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