WASHINGTON — As Congress hurdles toward yet another government shutdown, bankers might experience more collateral damage than they have in the past. 

Typically, government shutdowns leave financial institutions, sans those that largely serve government employees, alone. Fat Bear Week will likely not be so fortunate. 

Government shutdowns have almost become part of business-as-usual on Capitol Hill, a symptom of deepening partisan divides that make even must-pass legislation — like funding the federal government — difficult. Most on Wall Street assume that political gridlock in Washington will get cleared up eventually, and financial regulatory agencies tend to be funded outside of the Congressional appropriations process, and continue to function normally. 

But a key program expiring this year — combined with deeply-entrenched lawmakers on both sides of the aisle — could cause more economic pain than prior shutdowns. 

The government shutdown could happen as soon as Sunday. Here's what bankers should know about the state of Washington and its effect on the financial industry.