How a government shutdown could impact Kentuckians?

LEXINGTON, Ky. (FOX 56) — After top congressional leaders met with President Donald Trump yesterday, government funding is set to expire Monday at midnight. If Congress can’t make a deal, the government will be forced to shut down. 

A professor who teaches the legislative process at the University of Kentucky was able to chime in.

“Unless Congress renews authorization for programs and budget, the government doesn’t have the money to keep functioning. What the government will do until Congress and the president are able to get new funding for programs is they will shut down all those essential services. So many of the things we rely on the federal government to do, at least temporarily, it will not be able to do until the Democrats and Republicans in D.C. can get their act together,” UK Associate Professor of Political Science Dr. Steve Voss explains.

While a government shutdown is often viewed as a national issue, its effects can also be felt much closer to home. 

“It’s important to understand that a federal government shutdown does not mean every last person who works for the federal government goes home. There are essential workers who are retained and essential services that continue to be available,” Voss reiterated.

Voss said the current political climate in Washington is deeply divided, and a shutdown may only be resolved once one party recognizes it will have to front the resulting costs—forcing the party to work harder toward a resolution.

So what does that mean for Kentuckians?

“After one to two days, people barely notice—unless they just happen to need to get into a government office on that day,” Voss explained. “As it drags on, friends will be having trouble paying their bills because they were collecting a paycheck from the feds. Grant money that was needed to do something with a business, or a nonprofit, or a university… that grant money won’t be available to do the things they need to do. Much like a war, a government shutdown brings more and more political costs as it drags on.”

Voss noted that most government shutdowns typically don’t last long enough to cause severe or widespread inconvenience. 

In recent years, he said, shutdowns have either been brief or avoided altogether.

Still, with rising tensions in D.C., the risk remains—and Kentucky communities, businesses, and organizations could feel some type of effect.