Shutdown Impact
Potential Government Shutdown Could Impact Millions of Kids and Families
Parents Magazine - September 2023
If House and Senate leaders can't reach a deal on a spending bill by midnight Saturday, American families will really feel the pinch.
Right now, Congress is vastly divided over a plan to fund the government. And if lawmakers can't get their acts together, the government could shut down this weekend.
The Senate reached a stopgap spending agreement late Tuesday afternoon that would keep government agencies open through November 17. The short-term bill would fund the government at present levels, but it remains to be seen if it will pass through both a Senate amendment process and a contentious House by the time the deadline hits—this Saturday at midnight.
Democrats and Republicans in the House meanwhile are even farther apart in their own effort to come up with a temporary spending bill.
If a shutdown occurs this weekend or is kicked down the road a month from now, parents will feel a strain that many have felt before. Programs affected include those that have a disproportionate impact on parents, families, and children from low-income households. If a shutdown does happen, here is what parents need to know.