CADEN HAYNOR / NEWS EDITOR

The federal government shut down on Oct. 1 for the first time in almost seven years. The last government shutdown occurred in 2018 and was the longest in American  history,   lasting   35   days. 

A government shutdown occurs when the federal government   stops   and  reduces  its operations because Congress did  not  pass  the  required  laws that  were needed to fund it on time. 

Every year, Congress must pass a budget to pay for the government  and  all   of its activities. This includes paying workers, running agencies and providing services. Congress missed their deadline of Oct. 1 to pass a budget.  Now, there is no fixed  deadline  for passing a funding bill. When the regular annual  budget   is  not  passed by Oct. 1, Congress votes on Continuing Resolutions (CR), which are temporary spending bills used to keep the government funded.

Since the government shutdown, Congress has repeatedly voted to  try  to  pass a CR. If a full spending bill does not pass, then the government cannot legally spend money on most of its operations. 

Essential services that are necessary   for  national  security and safety, including the military, law enforcement, air traffic control,  border   protection  and  the Federal Bureau of Investigations, will remain funded and operating. 

The employees working in these services will be forced towork   during  the   shutdown  and  will  not   be  paid   until  the   shutdown is over. Meanwhile, nonessential services, like national parks, museums and research programs will be shut down, sending their workers home without pay.

One   USD  NROTC     midshipman  went  on   the  record to explain the effects of the shutdown on military personnel. Other  ROTC members were not comfortable   speaking  on the record for fear of discipline or retaliation from their military superiors.

“The only thing that it really affects  for  ROTC  students  is tuition  payments and  the stipend,” the student stated. “Tuition  payments  go  through  on  the  45th  day  of  the  semester and  the military  stipend comes out on the first and fifteenth of every  month.  There is quite a bit of    scholarship  money coming into  USD  which  is nice for us and  the stipend  is  $150 every two weeks as  part  of  a  scholarship. I use that  for groceries. Since the tuition payment is coming up, it will likely get delayed. The only thing that  really  matters  is  if you are on  active  duty  like  our  staff,  who have  to  work,  but  don’t get paid.”

USD Associate Director of Media Relations representative Elena Gomez explained the University’s reaction to the shutdown.

“We’re  not aware of  any specific   impacts   on   USD’s  campus    related   to  the  government shutdown and we don’t     anticipate    any    major   issues in the  short  term,” Gomez  stated.

Gomez    responded    to  The   USD Vista, stating that she contacted the Reserve Officers’ Training Corps (ROTC) Public Affairs team for further information. The USD Vista followed up on Oct. 5 to see if the ROTC Public Affairs team responded.  Gomez  stated that the Public   Affairs  team did not respond to university correspondence.

The government shutdown affects ROTC and military personnel who receive regular payments from the government. Photo courtesy of @Gabriel Tovar/Unsplash

This  shutdown  affects USD in a variety of ways, since the University  receives federal funding.  Most   federal financial  aid, like Pell Grants and Direct Loans, was distributed at the beginning    of   the  semester, so there   is   minimal    initial disruption. If the shutdown continues   longer,   new  applications for the spring that would    normally  be processed could be delayed, especially for FAFSA.

Regardless    of  long term effects, the shutdown has halted certain government processes necessary    for   University   function. Those processes being delayed  means  there  will be work to  catch  up  on once  the  government agrees on a spending bill.

While most U.S. spending remains frozen, USD students relying on federal funds and services will continue to assess how this shutdown affects their daily lives.

The U.S. government shut down on Oct. 1 after Congress was unable to pass a funding bill. Photo courtesy of @kmeeo/X