Government shutdown in September 2024 could impact these Philadelphia institutions

The U.S. government is about a week away from another potential government shutdown.

It mirrors the situation the House has repeatedly found itself in over the past year, with politicians at an impasse over how to move forward, leaving the country at risk of being shut down as the fresh fiscal year begins. Last year, it managed to avoid a last-minute shutdown.

Fast forward to this year. Home rejected House Speaker Mike Johnson introduced a spending bill on Wednesday.

The bill would tie short-lived funding for the federal government to a mandate, backed by former President Donald Trump, that states require proof of citizenship to vote. In a 220-202 vote, The enormous majority of Democrats, as well as 14 Republicans, opposed the initiative, leaving the budget uncertain.

Johnson, who said he was “disappointed” after the vote, is likely to pursue Plan B to avoid a partial lockdown, although he had not provided details by Friday afternoon.

The House of Representatives has until September 30 to pass the spending bill or the federal government will face a partial shutdown.

Here’s what you need to know.

Traditionally, 12 budget bills provide funding for various programs in the U.S. government agencies. These bills are grouped into one “omnibus” package where they are approved by a single vote.

Some of the existing spending plans are set to expire on Sept. 30, the end of the government’s fiscal year. Lawmakers are working to agree on the terms of an extension. Under the proposed bill, which was not passed, the legislation would fund agencies at current levels through March 28 while lawmakers work out their differences on a full-year spending agreement.

However, if the budget law is not passed and signed, which would allow financing the fresh fiscal year, the government may partially suspend its operations as early as October 1.

When a shutdown occurs, the government is unable to spend money — with some exceptions — meaning federal workers across the country would have to work without pay until the shutdown ends or be furloughed. Essential services would continue to operate, but resources would be stretched slender.

Hundreds of thousands of federal workers are affected by the government shutdowns. Those who are supposed to be working are not getting paid until the shutdown ends. Workers are guaranteed back pay. Many workers are also being furloughed and would not be able to work (but would also receive back pay through legislation adopted in 2019).

Some of the main groups of employees that could be afflicted include vigorous duty members of the armed forces, federal law enforcement officers, federal transportation workers (such as air traffic controllers and TSA agents, but not SEPTA), national park employees, scientists, and some health care workers.

Congress and President Joe Biden’s administration must reach an agreement by the end of the federal fiscal year, Sept. 30. at midnight. If they don’t, the closure will be October 1st at 12:01 in the morning

The longest and most recent government shutdown lasted 34 days, from December 22, 2018, to January 25, 2019. It was the second government shutdown to occur during Trump’s presidency, and ended after East Coast airports faced major delays when unpaid air traffic controllers stopped showing up to work.

Lawmakers narrowly avoided a federal shutdown last year when the House and Senate agreed on a short-term funding deal that Biden signed minutes before the deadline.

In Philadelphia, the recent government shutdown led to the closure of Independence Hall and the Liberty Bell Center.

Last year, the U.S. Department of the Interior said all National Park Service sites would close if the government shutdown went into effect, affecting Independence Hall, Liberty Bell and Valley Forge. The agency had not released guidance for this year by press time.

The City’s Immigration Court was closed during the 2018-19 lockdown, only accepting emergency applications from people already in custody.

Most federal law enforcement officers in eastern Pennsylvania continued to work without pay, but some employees deemed non-essential were temporarily furloughed. Essential employees at Philadelphia International Airport continued to work without pay, but resources were strained, and some air traffic controllers were furloughed.

Emergency shelter workers and those dependent on federal funding are worried about when payments will come.

The next steps for government funding are uncertain. Lawmakers are not close to completing work on a dozen annual appropriations bills that will fund federal agencies over the next fiscal year, so they will need to approve a stopgap measure to prevent a partial shutdown when that fiscal year begins Oct. 1.

“The bottom line is we are not shutting down the government,” said Rep. Mike Lawler (R., NY) he said on Wednesday, promising a short-lived solution one way or another.

Democrats and some Republicans are pushing for a shorter extension. A short-lived solution would allow the current Congress to craft a final bill after the November general election and deliver it to Biden’s desk for signing.

But Johnson and some more conservative members of his conference are pushing for a six-month extension, hoping Trump wins the presidential election, which would give them more room to maneuver in crafting a year-long bill.

“We’ll draw another play and find a solution,” Johnson said. “I’m already talking to my colleagues about a lot of their ideas. We have time to fix this, and we’ll get to it right away.”

This article was co-authored by Associated Press.