Government Shutdown: Washington gets ready

Washington has started getting ready for a possible government shutdown.

Behind the scenes, federal agencies are working on their plans for shutting down operations and deciding how many workers they need to perform essential operations.

Congress has one week -- until the end of March 4 -- to pass another short-term bill to fund federal agencies. If they fail, agencies are legally obligated to perform only essential activities necessary to protect life and property.

In other words, agencies have to move at warp speed to quickly wind down most operations. If they don't, they face legal ramifications for spending money they're not allowed to.