What to expect from a government shutdown
Yet functions deemed ‘essential’ would continue
Furloughs and delays are likely, but “essential” functions continue
WASHINGTON – Funding to keep the federal lights on will run out at midnight Friday unless Congress passes a spending bill and President Trump signs it into law.
If negotiations collapse, most federal agencies would close, and hundreds of thousands of government workers would be furloughed.
But not every part of the government would shutter.
Federal workers considered “essential” would stay on the job and key government functions — such as national security and law enforcement — would remain up and running.
Federal agencies have some leeway in deciding how to carry out a shutdown, but based on previous spending stalemates, here’s what Americans can expect:
Would troops get paid?
Trump said in a tweet Tuesday that the “biggest loser” in a government shutdown would be the military.
It’s a talking point used by many congressional Republicans hoping to put Democrats on the spot by saying a shutdown would mean the troops wouldn’t get paid.
Yet the military is paid on the first and 15th day of every month.
The troops just received a paycheck, and they won’t be due for another one until Feb. 1.
That means military personnel would not suffer a lapse in pay unless a government shutdown lasted until the end of the month — or longer.
Though active-duty military personnel would continue going to work, most civilian Department of Defense employees not considered essential would be furloughed, said Christopher Sherwood, a Pentagon spokesman.
Would I still get my Social Security benefits?
Yes. Social Security is a mandatory program that will continue even if Congress fails to pass a spending bill.
Would lawmakers close their offices?
It depends. Individual members of Congress have reacted differently. Some have closed their district offices, and others left them open. In previous shutdowns, lawmakers were advised that they did not have to furlough aides they needed to write laws, help them vote or communicate with their constituents. That gives members of Congress quite a bit of leeway.
Would I still be able to get a passport? What about the national parks, monuments and Smithsonian museums?
If you need a new passport, you might want to put in your request now.
The State Department’s passport services are funded partly by fees, which means it is not completely de- pendent on Congress for money and may be able to continue to issue passports for at least a short time.
If the stalemate drags on, your application could be delayed.
You’ll be out of luck if your vacation plans include a stop at any national park or other treasured federal site — whether that’s the Statue of Liberty in New York, the National Portrait Gallery in Washington or Yellowstone National Park in Wyoming. All of those taxpayer-funded sites would be closed during a shutdown.
During some shutdowns, some states have paid to keep their national parks open.
Would travel be affected?
Probably not. Airports would remain open, and air-traffic controllers and Transportation Security Administration officials would remain on the job. There could be delays if “non-essential” employees are furloughed.
You should still be able to travel by train. Even though Amtrak depends on federal subsidies, it gets revenue from ticket sales and has stayed open in past shutdowns.