page_title: 2013 United States federal government shutdown
section_title: Effect on federal government operations
hierarchical_section_title: 2013 United States federal government shutdown / Effects / Domestic effects / Effect on federal government operations
caption_attribution_description: 10.4.13 CPC End Government Shutdown Rally
context_page_description: From October 1 to October 17, 2013, the United States federal government entered a shutdown and curtailed most routine operations because neither legislation appropriating funds for fiscal year 2014 nor a continuing resolution for the interim authorization of appropriations for fiscal year 2014 was enacted in time. Regular government operations resumed October 17 after an interim appropriations bill was signed into law.
  During the shutdown, approximately 800,000 federal employees were indefinitely furloughed, and another 1.3 million were required to report to work without known payment dates. Only those government services deemed "excepted" under the Antideficiency Act were continued; and only those employees deemed "excepted" continued to report to work. The previous U.S. federal government shutdown was in 1995–96. The 16-day-long shutdown of October 2013 was the third-longest government shutdown in U.S. history, after the 35-day 2018–2019 shutdown and the 21-day 1995–96 shutdown.
  A "funding-gap" was created when the two chambers of Congress failed to agree to an appropriations continuing resolution.
context_section_description: On September 17, 2013, Office of Management and Budget Director Sylvia M. Burwell mandated an update for each federal agency's contingency plan that designated excepted agency operations, as required by the Antideficiency Act for a potential funding gap and shutdown. Burwell said that although the administration hoped that Congress would act to prevent a lapse in appropriations, "prudent management requires that agencies be prepared for the possibility of a lapse."
  During the shutdown, most non-exempt government employees were furloughed. That would have put about 800,000 public employees on indefinite unpaid leave starting October 1. The White House estimated that a one-week shutdown could have cost the US economy $10 billion. Key government functions, such as air traffic control, stay active under emergency funding statutes, though other related functions (such as training and support of these services) would be suspended. Some agencies and departments—such as the United States Department of Veterans Affairs and Social Security Administration—are funded by long-term or mandatory appropriations and were also largely unaffected. While veteran and military benefits are funded a year in advance, furloughed civilians had a large impact on the military and their families. Services to families on bases ranging from commissaries to family and survivor counseling were affected. Since the United States Postal Service is self-funded, it was unaffected and continued normal operations. The United States Merchant Marine Academy was closed for operations during the shutdown massively impacting the curriculum and schedule.
  On October 5, the House unanimously passed a bill that would provide back pay to all furloughed federal employees after the shutdown is resolved, and Obama stated that he would sign the bill into law. Rep. Elijah Cummings said "Our hard-working public servants should not become collateral damage. This is not their fault and they should not suffer as a result." Those responsible for the shutdown did not have to worry about their pay, however, as congressional salaries are written into permanent law. A bill to revise this passed in the Senate in 2011, but was never voted on by the House of Representatives.
caption: Federal employees protest the government shutdown at a rally outside of the Capitol
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