What is the US government shutdown all about?

The US Congress failed to reach an agreement on a bill on Tuesday, which would provide a transitional program for federal government spending after September 30 (the end of the government’s fiscal year). Despite the fact that democrats are a minority in the Senate, the republicans did not have enough majority votes to pass this bill. This means that the government must stop all non-essential expenses until a budget solution is reached. The Trump administration threatened that if the federal government shuts down, there will be massive layoffs.

The reason behind a ‘government shutdown’ is when Congress fails to reach an agreement on the government’s annual fiscal budget (in whole or in part). This affects the funds that the government can freely allocate each year. A shutdown first means that the federal government stops making payments to government employees who are not considered essential. The last shutdown in the US took place in 2013, lasting for 16 days.

During a shutdown, national parks, museums, and immigration offices are closed, and visas and passports are not issued, leading to a negative impact on tourism and travel. Essential services such as air traffic control and border security…