Presidential Powers During a Government Shutdown — The Color-Coded Guide
Fast facts in plain English. Save this for reference.
🧭 What a Government Shutdown Really Means
When the United States faces a government shutdown, confusion spreads quickly. People wonder if their Social Security check will arrive, if the military will be paid, or if airports will still run. The reality is that the president’s constitutional powers do not vanish. Instead, the Antideficiency Act freezes most spending until Congress approves a funding bill. That law is the guardrail preventing presidents from spending money on their own, no matter who sits in the Oval Office.
Key law: The Antideficiency Act makes it illegal for agencies to spend money without congressional approval—except for very narrow cases where life or property is at risk.
✅ What Keeps Going During a Government Shutdown
Despite the chaos, critical services do not stop. Here’s what continues:
- Military operations and national defense stay active around the clock.
- Federal law enforcement, the FBI, Border Patrol, and prisons remain staffed.
- Air traffic control and key weather forecasting keep skies safe.
- Social Security and Medicare benefits are paid because they have permanent funding streams.
- Emergency health and safety functions operate without pause.
These “excepted” services continue precisely because lives and safety depend on them. That’s why airports don’t shut down and why our troops remain on duty, even during a funding crisis.
⏸️ What Gets Delayed or Closed
Still, millions of Americans feel the impact. During a government shutdown:
- National parks, museums, and many passport offices close.
- Federal research labs shut down or cut back operations.
- Small business loans, housing approvals, and certain farm programs stall.
- Hundreds of thousands of federal workers are furloughed—sent home without pay until Congress acts.
In Missouri, farmers waiting for USDA reports or families seeking federal grants are left in limbo. That’s why shutdowns hit rural and working-class communities especially hard.
🧱 Clear Limits on the President
Here’s the truth: no matter who is president, they cannot spend money without Congress. The Constitution gives the “power of the purse” to the legislative branch. Courts have repeatedly sided with Congress when presidents tested those limits. A government shutdown is a constitutional standoff, not an invitation for the White House to take over the checkbook.
🛠️ What the President Can Do
Even during a shutdown, the president still has powerful tools:
- Sign or veto funding bills and continuing resolutions.
- Direct “excepted” functions through the Office of Management and Budget.
- Call Congress back into session if they’ve adjourned.
- Serve as Commander-in-Chief and handle foreign affairs.
- Declare certain emergencies—but only use funds Congress already allowed for emergencies, subject to court review.
📌 2025 Context: Trump’s Second Term
In his second term, Donald Trump may again push the limits of executive power during a government shutdown. He has used emergency declarations before to redirect funds, and he could attempt similar moves now. But the guardrails remain: no new spending without Congress. Courts stand ready to block unlawful overreach, and history shows Congress holds the purse strings.
Civic Reminder: Shutdowns hurt families, small businesses, and local communities. The best solution is straightforward: Congress must fund the government so services keep running for everyone, from rural Missouri to the nation’s largest cities.
💡 Bottom Line
The president’s powers stay. The spending doesn’t—until Congress acts. Essential services continue, many others pause, and the costs fall on working families. Shutdowns are a failure of leadership, not a sign of strength. If Washington cared about everyday Americans, we wouldn’t keep playing chicken with the nation’s future.
🔎 Check the Sources Yourself
Antideficiency Act, 31 U.S.C. § 1341
Government Accountability Office — Principles of Federal Appropriations Law
Reporting on emergency declarations and funding limits (2019)
Explainer: What happens during a shutdown (2023)
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