Employees deemed “essential” would remain on the job, but without their pay.
Here is a guide to what would shut down:
▪️ White House
During the 2018-2019 shutdown, the White House furloughed 1,100 of the 1,800 employees in the Executive Office of the President.
The reduction in White House staff could make it more difficult for Republicans in the House of Representatives to conduct an impeachment investigation of President Joe Biden, a Democrat.
▪️ Military
2 million US military personnel will remain in place, but about half of the Pentagon’s 800,000 civilian employees will be furloughed.
▪️ Finance regulation
The Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) would furlough roughly 90% of its 4,600 employees and suspend most activities, leaving only a skeleton staff to respond to emergencies.
▪️ Disaster response
The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) would risk running out of funds for disaster relief and long-term recovery projects.
▪️ Education
Most of the Education Department employees would be furloughed, according to the agency’s 2021 plan.
▪️Child care
According to the White House, 10,000 children from low-income families would lose access to the Head Start preschool program.
There have been 14 shutdowns since 1981, ranging in duration from a single day to the 35-day shutdown in 2018-2019.