A Simple Guide to the Budget Crisis

Q: What’s all the fuss about?

A: Two things that are distinct but related: the federal budget and the federal debt limit. As you may have noticed, Congress doesn’t pass budgets anymore: it’s too much trouble. Instead, the lawmakers keep the federal government going by passing bills that fund it for limited periods. The latest one is due to expire on September 30th. If it isn’t renewed, great swaths of the federal government, including the national parks and many Washington departments, will have to shut down until a new spending bill is agreed upon.

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