197 Democrats and 38 Republicans voted to reject a new continuing resolution plan backed by President-elect Donald Trump.

Could a government shutdown impact one of the most critical services this time of year; North American Aerospace Defense Command's Santa Tracker?

The U.S. government will shut down this weekend unless Congress passes a bill to keep it funded through March. If they fail, the government will be forced to furlough thousands of federal workers and reduce federal services.

Since 1955, NORAD has taken on the mission of tracking Santa's flight around the world. Its website says more than 1,250 Canadian and American uniformed personnel and DOD civilians volunteer their time on Christmas Eve to answer the hundreds of thousands of phone calls and emails that come in from around the world, its website says.

Here's what to know about the military's long-running tradition of tracking St. Nick's trip around the world and if it could be in jeopardy.

Could the government shutdown impact NORAD's Santa Tracker?

Not even a government shutdown could stop NORAD from tracking Chris Kringle this Christmas Eve, according to the Associated Press.

"We fully expect for Santa to take flight on Dec. 24 and NORAD will track him," the U.S.-Canadian agency said in a statement to the AP.

Beyond the Santa Tracker, NORAD would be not impacted by a government shutdown.

How to find NORAD's Santa Claus Tracker

For the 68th year in a row, NORAD is using its tracking capabilities to follow the progress of Santa Claus and his reindeer as he takes flight on Christmas Eve to deliver toys around the world.

Trackers can follow Santa on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and other social media platform. The official NORAD Tracks Santa app is also in the Apple App and Google Play stores, to count down the days until Santa's journey on mobile devices.

On Christmas Eve, trackers worldwide can call 1-877-HI-NORAD to ask live operators about Santa's location from 6 a.m. to midnight MST. Also on Dec. 24, website visitors will see Santa's flight from 4 a.m. to midnight MST.

Here's what agencies, services stop during a government shutdown

Federal agencies classify workers as either "essential" or "nonessential."

Essential workers continue working, though they may not receive immediate pay. Nonessential workers, however, are furloughed, meaning they cannot work or be paid until the government reopens, according to a breakdown compiled by Reuters.

Here are some services and government-funded efforts that will or will not shut down:

When is the government shutdown deadline?

Congress has until current funding expires on Friday night, once the clock strikes midnight and legislators hope to adjourn for the holidays.

If Congress doesn't reach an agreement on funding by midnight on Friday, Dec. 20, the government will shut down.