Explaining the U.S. gov’t shutdown

Today American federal workers are allowed to into their offices for a few hours to wrap up loose ends and tidy their desks before heading back home to wait out the furlough, the Washington Post reports.

By Staff | October 1, 2013 | Last updated on October 1, 2013

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Today American federal workers were allowed into their offices for a few hours to tie up loose ends and tidy their desks before heading back home to wait out the furlough, the Washington Post reports.

Up to 800,000 of America’s 2 million public servants could be told they are temporarily out of a job.

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But the furlough doesn’t affect every civil servant. It’s up to each department to decide who still has to come into work, but by law the government still has to maintain national security and foreign relations, make benefit payments, fulfill contractual obligations and protect life and property, reports The Post.

Those people will get paid for their work—eventually. First Congress has to release the money.