Money Read Time: 2 min

The Big Pause

A federal government shutdown prompts questions about continued services. Essential portions of the government remain open while others remain partially or completely closed. Interact below to learn more.

This interactive content illustrates the impact of a government shutdown on key U.S. government entities, categorized by closure status. Before the main graphic, an introduction reads: Federal Pause Scorecard. A federal government shutdown prompts questions about continued services. Essential portions of the government remain open while others remain partially or completely closed. Interact below to learn more.

A legend runs along the top of the page, explaining the status markers placed atop each entity: Green is Open, Yellow is Partially Closed, and Red is Mostly Closed. The markers shown communicate that the Federal Courts and the Federal Reserve remain fully Open while the following five areas are Partially Closed: Congress, Housing, The Treasury, Small Business Support, and Museums & Parks. The IRS is the only entity marked as Mostly Closed in the visual.Each of these markers is an interactive element, which causes further text to be displayed which is described next.

The interactive element for Congress is marked Partially Closed with a yellow indicator. The accompanying text states: During a shutdown, not much gets done in Congress unless it relates to ending the shutdown.

The interactive element for Housing is marked Partially Closed with a yellow indicator. The accompanying text states: The Department of Housing and Urban Development is partially closed. Housing assistance and housing enforcement continue to work on limited schedules.

The interactive element for the Federal Courts is marked Open with a green indicator. The accompanying text states: Federal courts remain open and trials and deadlines proceed. In a protracted shutdown, some operations may be delayed.

The interactive element for Small Business Support is marked Partially Closed with a yellow indicator. The accompanying text states: The Small Business Administration is partially closed. Loan programs may be delayed however disaster loans will continue.

The interactive element for the Treasury is marked Partially Closed with a yellow indicator. The accompanying text states: The core, essential functions of the Treasury continue, such as activities related to national debt, financial markets and currency monitoring.

The interactive element for the Federal Reserve is marked Open with a green indicator. The accompanying text states: The Fed is unaffected by the shutdown. Core functions operate normally.

The interactive panel for the IRS is marked Mostly Closed with a red indicator. The accompanying text states: The IRS is mostly closed but it continues its revenue collection. Some taxpayer services are limited. Please keep all your commitments to the IRS during a shutdown.

The interactive element for our National Museums & Parks is marked Partially Closed with a yellow indicator. The accompanying text states: National museums and parks are considered non-essential, so anticipate widespread closures. Some open-air memorials may remain open but may be without support staff.

This interactive content concludes with the following: Did any of this surprise you? As we've learned, it's more complicated than simply open or closed. A government shutdown affects federal services differently based on whether they're deemed essential, with some agencies operating on skeleton crews while others halt entirely.

Did any of this surprise you? As we can see, it's more complicated than simply "open" or "closed." A government shutdown affects federal services differently based on whether they're deemed essential, with some agencies operating on skeleton crews while others halt entirely.