Following the narrow escape of yet another government shutdown by Congress, the public is left wondering just how much longer it will take for the national debt to truly catch up to the country. The primary responsibility of Congress each year is to provide funding for government operations. Legislators must enact twelve suitable bills by September 30th each year in order to fund all government departments and initiatives. It has been 25 years since this directive was issued, and legislators have asked for more time to complete their appropriations bills. In the absence of a short-term funding measure, the government closes. 

Shutdowns can cause a number of problems, such as slowed food safety inspections, closed visitor centers and restrooms in national parks, delays in processing applications for passports, small business loans, or government benefits, and other inconveniences. The media has focused a lot of attention on the funding debate this year, which has been especially difficult. Many federal employees will be told not to report if this crisis is not resolved. When providing services that are considered essential, government employees are required to report, but they will not be paid. The Fiscal Responsibility Act, which was passed by Congress in June 2023 and signed by President Biden, removed the ceiling on the national debt and placed caps on annual appropriated spending for the fiscal years 2024 and 2025 (one for defense and one for non-defense). The act was supported by Republican leaders in the House and Senate. This legislation only temporarily postponed the effects of the inevitable government shutdown. 

On Thursday, January 18th, the U.S. House of Representatives passed a bill to grant the government partial funds in order to delay a government shutdown. The 314-108 vote came just ahead of the January 19th deadline, narrowly preventing a shutdown once again. Both the House and Senate sped up the voting process to finalize the bill before a snowstorm rolled in over the weekend, fearing the weather would delay it further. Despite the current conflicting views at Capitol Hill, it was crucial that members of Congress temporarily resolved the federal budget. There is still much work to be done, as the new bill will only postpone a shutdown for another month or so. Another 12 bills will need to be passed before Congress can set forth a complete annual budget.