With less than a week left, the federal government must think of a plan to avert a government shutdown.

The situation puts new Speaker of the House Mike Johnson in the national spotlight as he tries to win Republican support for a short-term funding plan.

Tempe-based political commentator Mike O’Neil says financial implications occur as a result of shutdown warnings.

“Even the threat of government shutdown, if it doesn't happen, costs us hundreds of millions of dollars because the responsible people in the government have to do a lot of work to prepare for a possible shutdown," he said.

Agencies are on standby as a shutdown would stop many federal government operations and result in federal workers not receiving paychecks.