Government ‘shutdown’? Most of the government would keep functioning and furloughed workers are paid

[mystery-ak]

September 28, 2022 11:27am EDT
Government ‘shutdown’? Most of the government would keep functioning and furloughed workers are paid back
A majority of government spending is 'mandatory' and would not be touched in a partial government shutdown
By Peter Kasperowicz | Fox News

Talk of a possible government shutdown picked up this week as Congress raced to keep the government fully funded after September 30, but as usual in Washington, D.C., things are not always as they seem.

As it turns out, a government shutdown is not nearly as scary as it sounds.

First, most federal spending consists of what Washington calls "mandatory spending." This includes giant spending programs that affect millions of people, including Social Security, Medicare, Medicaid, income security programs, veteran and federal retirement benefits and others.

These mandatory programs are not at risk in a government shutdown – Social Security checks will still arrive on time. These programs account for the vast majority of what the government spends each year.

According to the Treasury Department, the federal government is expected to spend about $6 trillion in fiscal year 2022 and more than $4 trillion of that counts as "mandatory" spending that will not be touched by a shutdown.

When Washington talks about a government shutdown, it is talking about closing down programs covered by so-called "discretionary spending," which is the optional spending Congress approves each year. If Congress does not pass new discretionary bills fast enough, it can create a lapse in appropriations that causes these programs to shutter.

Some of these "optional" discretionary programs are pretty big. They include the Departments of Defense, State and Homeland Security, among others. However, even here, Washington has worked it out so that the essential parts of these discretionary programs can keep running even during a shutdown.

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https://www.foxnews.com/politics/government-shutdown-most-government-keep-functioning-furloughed-workers-paid-back

[EdinVA]

 

[rustynail]

Same old same old.

[Hoodat]

A majority of government spending is 'mandatory'

Complete bullshit.

First, most federal spending consists of what Washington calls "mandatory spending."

No different from Washington calling Covid jabs a "vaccine".

This includes giant spending programs that affect millions of people, including Social Security, Medicare, Medicaid, income security programs, veteran and federal retirement benefits and others.

These mandatory programs are not at risk in a government shutdown – Social Security checks will still arrive on time. These programs account for the vast majority of what the government spends each year.

Again, complete bullshit.  Technically, they would be at risk.  But Congress has ordered that bad checks be written out anyway even though there is no money.

[berdie]

After a while...the "Government Shut Down" threat becomes tedious and unbelievable. Just so much political theater.

[DefiantMassRINO]

Not this again.  Instead of shutting down Government, stop paying salary and benefits for members of Congress and their staffs.  F'em.

... Screwing over the Congressional staff would be the most effective because they do all the work for the do-nothing Reps and Senators.  They'd be even more clueless, helpless, and hapless without staff telling them what to say.