Every year Congress must pass and the President must sign a budget. If that has not happened by the first day of the fiscal year (October 1) the "non-essential" portions of the government shut down. I'm not sure how many workers that entails, 800,000 sounds high but it is within the realm of possibility.
If the collective idiots in charge can't get their stuff together by the deadline and they don't want to shut everything down they pass what is called a "Continuing Resolution" which states something like "Keep funding going at current levels until date X."
April 8 is the current "date X." So if they don't pass a budget for the remainder of the Fiscal Year (or another Continuing Resolution) before Midnight (US Eastern Time) the proverbial substance hits the fan.
[Update] Aparently there was some sort of breakthrough agreement and to give themselves time to blather about it the passed a Continuing Resolution to fund the government until April 14 (Thursday).
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Date: 2011-04-09 05:14 am (UTC)Every year Congress must pass and the President must sign a budget. If that has not happened by the first day of the fiscal year (October 1) the "non-essential" portions of the government shut down. I'm not sure how many workers that entails, 800,000 sounds high but it is within the realm of possibility.
If the collective idiots in charge can't get their stuff together by the deadline and they don't want to shut everything down they pass what is called a "Continuing Resolution" which states something like "Keep funding going at current levels until date X."
April 8 is the current "date X." So if they don't pass a budget for the remainder of the Fiscal Year (or another Continuing Resolution) before Midnight (US Eastern Time) the proverbial substance hits the fan.
[Update] Aparently there was some sort of breakthrough agreement and to give themselves time to blather about it the passed a Continuing Resolution to fund the government until April 14 (Thursday).