The U.S. is on the verge of a government shutdown, with Congress facing a September 30, 2023, deadline to pass appropriations bills to fund the government. There are several options for Congress and the President during high-stakes negotiations over funding the federal government as the fiscal year (FY) comes to an end. The options include:

• Reaching an agreement on regular appropriations bills by October 1, 2023, the beginning of the new FY;
• Passing one or more interim continuing resolutions (CRs) to provide temporary funding beyond the beginning of the fiscal year until negotiators can make a final decision about full-year funding levels; or
• Not agreeing on appropriations bills or temporary stop-gap measures, resulting in a funding gap and corresponding shutdown of affected federal government activities.

Currently, it appears unlikely that negotiations in Congress will lead to the passage of appropriations legislation by the October 1, 2023, deadline. It is more likely that Congress will pass a CR to continue to fund the government until a deal is reached or Democrats and Republicans may fail to reach an agreement, resulting in a government shutdown.

A Congressional Research Service Report entitled Shutdown of the Federal Government: Causes, Processes, and Effects is available here. 

Impact on General Dentistry: It is important for AGD members to be aware that a government shutdown can have widespread impacts. For agencies and programs that depend on discretionary funding through annual appropriations acts, Congress and the President must enact interim or full-year appropriations by October 1st if many governmental activities are to continue operating. Further, a government shutdown caused by annual appropriations not being enacted can also result in furloughs of federal workers.