During a government shutdown, the nation operates on a form of autopilot, with only “essential” functions continuing while thousands of other services grind to a halt. The decision by Congress on Wednesday to prolong the shutdown means this state of partial governance will continue, raising questions about which parts of the government are still running and for how long.
Functions deemed essential for national security and public safety continue. This includes active-duty military operations, law enforcement, air traffic control, and border protection. However, the employees performing these tasks are not being paid, working on an IOU from the government.
Entitlement programs like Social Security, Medicare, and Medicaid also continue to send out payments, as their funding is mandatory and not subject to the annual appropriations process that has stalled. The US Postal Service, which is self-funded, also continues normal operations.
However, a vast swath of the government is considered “non-essential” and is now closed. This includes the processing of new passports and visas, the operation of national parks and museums, most scientific research, and many regulatory and oversight functions at agencies like the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).
This “autopilot” mode is not sustainable. The stress on the essential workforce grows daily, and the backlog of non-essential work creates a massive administrative challenge that will have to be dealt with when the government eventually reopens. The nation can function this way for a short time, but it is a precarious and damaging way to operate.