{"id":789,"date":"2025-03-14T03:49:46","date_gmt":"2025-03-13T21:49:46","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/kendreger.com\/?p=789"},"modified":"2025-03-14T03:49:46","modified_gmt":"2025-03-13T21:49:46","slug":"potential-government-shutdown-march-2025","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/kendreger.com\/?p=789","title":{"rendered":"Potential Government Shutdown March 2025"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"\"<\/p>\n

If Congress fails to pass a Continuing Resolution (CR) by the current deadline\u2014midnight tonight, March 13, 2025, based on the date you provided\u2014the federal government enters a shutdown. This happens because, under the Antideficiency Act, agencies can\u2019t spend money without congressional appropriation. Here\u2019s what occurs regarding federal employees in that scenario, focusing on actions to reduce staff:<\/p>\n

Immediate Effects on Federal Employees<\/strong><\/p>\n

    \n
  1. Furloughs for Non-Essential Employees<\/strong>:\n
      \n
    • When a shutdown begins, federal agencies stop all \u201cnon-essential\u201d operations. Employees deemed \u201cnon-essential\u201d (or \u201cnon-excepted\u201d) are furloughed\u2014essentially placed on temporary unpaid leave. Who\u2019s non-essential? That\u2019s determined by agency heads, guided by the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) and past precedent. For example, during the 2013 shutdown, about 850,000 of the roughly 2 million federal civilian employees were furloughed at its peak.<\/li>\n
    • Examples: Park rangers, IRS clerks, and many administrative staff often get sent home, while air traffic controllers and Border Patrol agents stay on as \u201cessential.\u201d<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n
    • Essential Employees Work Without Pay<\/strong>:\n
        \n
      • Employees classified as \u201cexcepted\u201d\u2014those needed to protect life, property, or national security (e.g., FBI agents, TSA screeners, military personnel)\u2014keep working but don\u2019t get paid until the shutdown ends. A 2019 law guarantees they\u2019ll get back pay eventually, but the delay can still hit hard.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n
      • No New Hires or Contracts<\/strong>:\n
          \n
        • Agencies halt hiring during a shutdown. If they were planning to onboard new staff to replace retirees or expand, that\u2019s paused. Ongoing contracts might also stall, indirectly affecting federal workforces tied to private-sector support.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

          Reduction Actions Specific to a Shutdown<\/strong><\/p>\n

          A shutdown itself doesn\u2019t directly \u201creduce\u201d the federal workforce in the sense of permanent layoffs\u2014it\u2019s a temporary suspension. However, here\u2019s how it plays out in terms of workforce impact:<\/p>\n

            \n
          • No Permanent Cuts Without Legislation<\/strong>: A shutdown doesn\u2019t fire people; it just stops paying them. Permanent reductions (like eliminating positions) require congressional action\u2014either through appropriations bills cutting agency budgets or specific laws targeting staff levels. Without a CR, Congress isn\u2019t passing anything, so no new cuts get enacted during the shutdown itself.<\/li>\n
          • Attrition Accelerates<\/strong>: Some employees, especially those furloughed or working without pay, might quit voluntarily. The uncertainty and financial strain can push people out, effectively shrinking the workforce without formal action. This happened in 2018-2019, when the 35-day shutdown led to higher-than-usual resignations, particularly at agencies like the FAA.<\/li>\n
          • Planning for Cuts Stalls<\/strong>: If the Trump administration or Congress had plans to reduce federal employees (say, through Elon Musk\u2019s Department of Government Efficiency or DOGE initiatives), a shutdown pauses that. Agencies can\u2019t execute layoffs or reorganizations without funding to process them.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n

            Context of Current Shutdown Risk (March 2025)<\/strong><\/p>\n

            Given today\u2019s date and the CR expiring tonight, posts on X and recent news suggest a GOP push for a year-long CR to freeze spending at 2024 levels, while Democrats want a shorter-term deal to negotiate full-year funding. If no deal is reached:<\/p>\n

              \n
            • Scale of Furloughs<\/strong>: Historical data suggests 40-50% of the 2.1 million federal civilian employees (excluding postal workers) could be furloughed\u2014around 800,000 to 1 million people. Exact numbers depend on OMB\u2019s latest guidance, which isn\u2019t public yet for this scenario.<\/li>\n
            • DOGE Angle<\/strong>: Some speculate a shutdown could align with goals to shrink government (e.g., DOGE\u2019s aim to cut staff), as furloughs might pressure non-essential workers to leave. But this isn\u2019t a formal reduction\u2014it\u2019s a side effect.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n

              Longer-Term Implications<\/strong><\/p>\n

              If the shutdown drags on (like the 2018-2019 record of 35 days), indirect reductions grow:<\/p>\n

                \n
              • Morale and Retention<\/strong>: Federal workers, already facing potential layoffs from White House orders (e.g., plans due March 13 per X posts), might bail if they\u2019re furloughed too long.<\/li>\n
              • Economic Ripple<\/strong>: Furloughed workers not spending hurts local economies, amplifying pressure on Congress to act\u2014but not necessarily to cut jobs.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n

                Bottom Line<\/strong><\/p>\n

                A shutdown due to no CR doesn\u2019t directly reduce federal employees through layoffs\u2014it furloughs hundreds of thousands temporarily, keeps others working unpaid, and halts hiring. Permanent cuts need legislative action, which a shutdown delays. The real reduction comes if workers quit under the strain, but that\u2019s not a planned action\u2014it\u2019s fallout. If you\u2019re asking about intentional cuts tied to a shutdown, those aren\u2019t automatic; they\u2019d need a new law, and right now, Congress can\u2019t even agree on keeping the lights on.<\/p>\n

                 <\/p>\n

                Antideficiency Act<\/strong><\/p>\n

                The Antideficiency Act (ADA) is a U.S. federal law that\u2019s all about controlling government spending and making sure federal agencies don\u2019t blow through money they haven\u2019t been given by Congress. It\u2019s a cornerstone of fiscal responsibility\u2014or, depending on your view, a bureaucratic straitjacket. Passed in 1870 and beefed up over time (notably in 1905 and 1950), it\u2019s rooted in the Constitution\u2019s Appropriations Clause (Article I, Section 9), which says no money can be spent from the Treasury unless Congress says so. Here\u2019s the breakdown:<\/p>\n

                What It Does<\/p>\n

                The ADA has a few key rules to keep federal spending in check:<\/strong><\/p>\n

                  \n
                1. No Spending Without Appropriation:\n
                    \n
                  • Agencies can\u2019t spend money\u2014or commit to spending it\u2014unless Congress has appropriated the funds. If there\u2019s no budget or Continuing Resolution (CR) passed, like the situation you mentioned with a potential shutdown tonight, March 13, 2025, non-essential operations grind to a halt. This is why furloughs happen: no legal authority to pay people.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n
                  • No Overspending:\n
                      \n
                    • Agencies can\u2019t spend more than Congress gave them, whether it\u2019s the total budget, a specific program\u2019s allocation, or what\u2019s available in a given fiscal year. If they do, it\u2019s a violation, and heads can roll.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n
                    • No \u201cVolunteering\u201d Government Work:\n
                        \n
                      • Agencies can\u2019t accept free work or services to get around funding limits. This stops officials from, say, asking employees to work unpaid (beyond what\u2019s allowed for \u201cexcepted\u201d staff during shutdowns) or leaning on contractors to front costs.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n
                      • Time Limits on Funds:\n
                          \n
                        • Money appropriated for a specific year or purpose can\u2019t be stretched beyond its expiration date unless Congress explicitly says otherwise. This prevents agencies from hoarding cash or shifting it to unrelated projects.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

                          Penalties<\/strong><\/p>\n

                          Breaking the ADA isn\u2019t a slap on the wrist:<\/strong><\/p>\n

                            \n
                          • Civil and Criminal Consequences: Violations can lead to fines, jail time (up to two years), or getting fired. For example, knowingly overspending is a misdemeanor.<\/li>\n
                          • Reporting Requirement: If an agency messes up, they have to report it to Congress and the President via the Office of Management and Budget (OMB). These reports are public\u2014think of it as a fiscal walk of shame.<\/li>\n
                          • Personal Liability: In rare cases, officials have had to repay funds out of their own pockets, though this is more historical than common today.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n

                            Why It Exists<\/strong><\/p>\n

                            Back in the 19th century, agencies were notorious for spending money they didn\u2019t have, then begging Congress to cover the tab after the fact. This \u201ccoercive deficiency\u201d pissed off lawmakers, who wanted control over the purse strings. The ADA was the fix\u2014force agencies to live within their means and punish them if they don\u2019t. It\u2019s less about efficiency and more about power: Congress flexing its constitutional authority over spending.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

                            If Congress fails to pass a Continuing Resolution (CR) by the current deadline\u2014midnight tonight, March 13, 2025, based on the date you provided\u2014the federal government enters a shutdown. This happens because, under the Antideficiency Act, agencies can\u2019t spend money without congressional appropriation. Here\u2019s what occurs regarding federal employees in that scenario, focusing on actions to […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[19,20,21,39],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-789","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-democrat-corruprion","category-democrat-fraud","category-dnc-lies","category-stupid-ideas"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/kendreger.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/789","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/kendreger.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/kendreger.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kendreger.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kendreger.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=789"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/kendreger.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/789\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":790,"href":"https:\/\/kendreger.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/789\/revisions\/790"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/kendreger.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=789"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kendreger.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=789"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kendreger.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=789"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}