The possibility of a government shutdown is looming as the deadline to pass a funding bill is approaching. The deadline to pass a funding bill is Sept. 30, giving Congress just a week to agree on a path forward.

Both Democrats and Republicans have said they’ll try to advance a short-term funding bill, known as a continuing resolution, to keep the government open while lawmakers keep deliberating on full-year appropriations. However, Freedom caucus

Republicans are threatening to make a shut down a real possibility by opposing a funding bill if their demands are not met.
If the government were to shut down, hundreds of thousands of non-postal employees will be furloughed or forced to work without pay.

This could lead to significant economic hardships for workers and their families. In addition, many government programs are suspended or curtailed during the shutdown. It can also have broader economic consequences causing a loss in consumer confidence and slowing economic growth.

If the federal government were to shut down Social Security and Medicare benefits would be sent but benefit verification as well as card issuance would halt. National Parks would not be funded and would have to turn away millions of visitors at more than 400 parks and would lose more than $500 million in lost visitor spending. Air travel could be impacted if air traffic controllers must work without pay. This could cause an increase in travel time if TSA agents do not report to work. Airports could temporarily close.

The National Institute of Health could be prevented from admitting new patients or processing grant applications. Temporary Assistance for Needy Families could have to front the money for formula grant programs. The funding for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) program is mandatory but the ability to send out “food stamp” benefits could be affected for millions of low-income families.

Furloughed employees are not allowed to work and do not receive pay checks but are guaranteed back pay once the government reopens.

The group of lawmakers putting funding in doubt is largely the same as those who previously said they’d reject a debt ceiling deal unless it met every one of their demands.

The Freedom Caucus is one of the key blocs with a hardline position on funding.

Members of the Freedom Caucus include Congressman Matt Gaetz of Florida and Congresswoman Lauren Boebert of Colorado. Congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene of Georgia has recently been kicked out of the caucus.

They are demanding spending levels below the top-line numbers that Speaker of the House Kevin McCarthy had agreed to with President Joe Biden as part of a bill to increase the nation’s debt ceiling.

They do not think McCarthy went far enough to cut federal spending.

They want inclusion of a bill that aims to build more wall at the southern border and restrict asylum for those seeking to remain in the U.S. for fear of persecution or harm.

The Freedom Caucus would like their supporters to believe that the borders are wide open under President Biden. The Biden Administration has already put additional resources at the southern border region to scale up its anti-smuggling operations and expanded coordination and support for border cities and non-governmental organization. Biden also has new enforcement measures to increase security at the border and reduce the number of people crossing unlawfully between ports of entry.

The Freedom Caucus wants to defund Special Council Jack Smith’s office accusing Smith of “weaponizing” the government, election interference, and political prosecution for the indictment of former president Donald J. Trump.

The Freedom Caucus would also like to cut the amount of aid the U.S. is providing to Ukraine in order to help them to defend their country from an unprovoked invasion by Vladimir Putin’s Russian Army.

For now, Republican appetite for a shutdown is mixed since the party has historically been blamed when its members have caused them in 2019 and 2013. House Speaker Kevin McCarthy could try to build a coalition of House Republicans and Democrats to get numbers he needs to pass the bill without conservatives, though attempting to do so would most likely cost him future support.

If McCarthy fails to get enough votes from his caucus, he could lose his speakership. The Speaker of the House is elected by members of the House of Representatives at the beginning of each new Congress. If McCarthy loses his speakership, it would be because he failed to follow through with his promises to certain congressman/women he made to become speaker. This could have significant implications for Republican leadership in Congress going forward.