President-elect Donald Trump is not yet in office, but he is already having an impact in Congress and causing chaos right before the Christmas holiday. Earlier this week, he put pressure on Republican lawmakers to support a federal spending bill he endorsed, which was rejected.

Now US lawmakers have until Friday evening to come up with an alternative plan that will pass muster with both Republicans and Democrats.

If they cannot agree, a government shutdown will begin at 12:01 a.m. on Saturday. Since it is the weekend, its wider impact would start to hit on Monday. A government shutdown is as disruptive as it sounds.

A government shutdown occurs when the government has not agreed on its annual budget, in whole or in part. It impacts discretionary spending, which must be appropriated each year.

Such a shutdown basically means that the federal government stops paying federal employees and contractors who work for the government. It is a situation that impacts each part of the government differently.

In the past, there have been partial shutdowns when some of the budget had been approved, leaving some agencies fully funded and able to work as usual. There have also been wider shutdowns when none........

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