What happens in a US government shutdown?

What happens in a US government shutdown?
Sen. Tom Carper (D-Del.) and Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) (left-right) walk out of a Democratic Caucus meeting at the U.S. Capitol in Washington on Jan. 19, 2018. Tasos Katopodis/Getty Images
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In shutdowns, nonessential government employees are furloughed, or placed on temporary unpaid leave. Workers deemed essential, including those dealing with public safety and national security, keep working.

After previous government shutdowns, Congress passed measures to ensure that all unpaid workers received retroactive pay. The Trump administration would support a similar measure, a senior administration official said on Friday.