The Gryphon Gazette

By Romy S. ‘25

Throughout American history, the federal government has experienced ten government shutdowns, all resulting from Congress’ failure to pass new government spending bills. Last week, on the eve of the new fiscal year, the government verged on the brink of another shutdown. This situation is unique to the United States as other countries do not shut down when they can’t agree upon a new bill; instead, they merely reuse their old ones. The United States, however, is bound by the 1884 Anti-Deficiency Act, which makes it illegal for federal agencies to spend government money in the absence of appropriated funds, effectively halting their functionality until a new one has been passed. As a result, the government has to shut down if a bill cannot be agreed upon. Given the widening ideological divide in Congress and the scarcity of members willing to find common ground, reaching final agreements has become increasingly challenging. Previous Speaker of the House, Kevin McCarthy, urged for cooperation, saying “the only way out of a shutdown is bipartisanship.” McCarthy communicated that, for a new funding bill to be passed, all members of Congress must come to a consensus and find a middle ground. This, however, has seemed to be an impossible task as Democrats and Republicans are pushing for conflicting ideologies, and neither of them are willing to give up anything on their respective agendas. 

In a sudden turn of events, on September 30th, Congress approved a stopgap plan, a temporary funding bill, to keep the federal government running- until mid-November- by a vote of 335 to 91. This effort was largely run by Speaker McCarthy, who had previously promised that he would not work with Democrats, to try and keep the government running. Through doing so, he defied his party in an attempt to find a middle ground, ultimately leading to him being ousted from his position as Speaker of the House by his fellow House Republicans. 

This momentous event highlights the increasing polarization in American politics, forcing Congress members to adopt extreme stances and align themselves more closely with their respective political parties. By removing McCarthy, the Republicans have sent a clear message to their members that any attempts at compromising with Democrats could result in dire consequences. Previously known as a “legislative terrorist,” Republican Jim Jordan is now one of the top two leading candidates for the new Speaker of the House, proving how polarized and right-leaning the party has become. This will likely complicate future negotiations, as McCarthy’s defiance has only further solidified partisan divisions within Congress. 

By throwing out the Speaker of the House, Congress becomes ineffective. As a result, the Republican party has created a “soft shutdown;” no legislative work can be conducted and pressing matters, particularly the government funding issue, cannot be resolved. 

The struggle to fund the government has become an issue of increasing importance in recent years. This is a concrete example that the constitutional order has become less functional as having a big binary partisan divide leads to less coordination between branches. By fostering such acute polarization, it has gotten harder for parties to coordinate and reach common ground.