The highly contentious partisan fight in Congress over federal spending is creating a strong possibility of a government shutdown on Oct. 1, an all-too-familiar situation that is forcing federal agencies to confront serious budget uncertainties and the prospect of large-scale furloughs.
For most businesses, operating under the constant threat of a shutdown would be unthinkable — none could tolerate the effects of such instability on their workforces and on their ability to serve their customers.
Yet today, these are the exact conditions facing our nation’s largest employer, which directly serves millions of people each day and is relied on by ...