Government shutdowns are costly for the government, government workers, and for private citizens. The drama surrounding government shutdowns frequently occurs around the beginning of the government’s fiscal year, October 1. Often, lawmakers choose to pass a temporary funding bill to give the government additional time to reach an agreement and avoid a shutdown. The current short-term funding bill expires at midnight on December 7, therefore Congress has one week to pass another spending bill and avoid it’s third government shutdown since President Donald Trump took office.
The Peter G. Peterson Foundation, a non-partisan organization dedicated to addressing America’s long-term fiscal challenges, shared the top three reasons why government shutdowns are harmful:
1. Government shutdowns are costly
Government shutdowns force programs and operations to be temporarily stopped and started up again once the shutdown is over. This process is expensive for the government.
2. Government shutdowns are bad for the economy
Government shutdowns have a ripple effect causing uncertainty and stifling economic growth.
3. Government shutdowns interrupt federal programs and services
Most "nonessential" functions, such as national parks and NASA, are shut down causing disruptions.
Visit their website for more information on how government shutdowns affect society and how we can all work together to ensure a better economic future.
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