If Congress can’t meet the deadline to extend federal funding by Sept. 30, a government shutdown will take place, affecting everything from government operations to air traffic and childcare services.

The U.S. government would shut down at 12:01 a.m. on Sunday, Oct. 1 if lawmakers don’t pass a continuing resolution or a federal budget by Sept. 30, said Shelly Arsneault, Cal State Fullerton professor of political science.

Most shutdowns have lasted less than a week, Arsneault said. The last government shutdown lasted from Dec. 22, 2018 to Jan. 25, 2019. Spanning 35 days, it was the longest government shutdown in U.S. history.

Arsneault said: “Things don’t look too good now. For instance, 1.3 million troops will not be paid, nor will traffic controllers. In addition, tens of millions of other federal workers will simply be sent home without pay. Many national parks and monuments will be shut down, folks may have a hard time getting passports in time and some childcare facilities may have to close. 

“We’ll have to see how this plays out before we know more about the consequences."

Read more at CSUF News.

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