WASHINGTON — Speaker Kevin McCarthy sent members of Congress home for the weekend on Thursday, increasing the odds that the government would shut down on Oct. 1 because of a lack of a spending agreement.
This would not be the first government shutdown, so people understand that essential services would continue while hundreds of thousands of workers would be furloughed. Many government functions would cease.
One thing that is different from 2019 is the United States' military assistance to Ukraine. Lots of conservatives either disagree with sending more resources to Ukraine or question the way in which the Biden Administration has done so, leading many people to ask whether such assistance could continue during a shutdown.
QUESTION
Would U.S. military aid to Ukraine continue during a government shutdown?
SOURCES
Department of Defense document
Chris Sherwood, Department of Defense spokesperson
ANSWER
Yes, American assistance to Ukraine is among the military programs exempt from the impact of a government shutdown.
WHAT WE FOUND
The U.S. State Department reported in January that the U.S. spent more than $113 billion during 2022 in response to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
President Joe Biden has asked Congress to authorize $24 billion more to help Ukraine continue to defend itself.
Chris Sherwood, a Defense Department spokesperson, tells us current operations will continue. "Operation Atlantic Resolve is an excepted activity under a government lapse in appropriations, which is consistent with DOD’s Contingency Plan Guidance For Continuation Of Essential Operations In The Absence Of Available Appropriations."
Every federal agency has a contingency plan that explains which functions would continue during a government shutdown and which would be suspended.
Aid to Ukraine is part of Operation Atlantic Resolve, which is primarily in support of NATO. As an exempted military operation, there would be no interruption for any training we provide or equipment we send to Ukraine.
