If the Republican-led U.S. House of Representatives and President Joe Biden fail to make a deal on the debt ceiling, the federal courts  would face uncertainty comparable to – though not quite the same as – what has been felt during previous government shutdowns. 

The speculation on funding issues comes as the White House and Congressional leaders move publicly closer—then further away—from an agreement on how much money the country can borrow. The clock has technically already started ticking, with federal funding being found via “extraordinary measures,” such as failing to put funds in trust accounts, after the debt ceiling was hit on Jan. 19.