and Deadlock persists In Washington, a government shutdown appeared increasingly likely ahead of Saturday night’s deadline.
Spending measures remain elusive in the Republican-controlled House of Representatives as the Senate pushes for a bipartisan effort to keep the government open.If a government shutdown comes, millions of federal employees will be furloughed Many others — including those who work in the military and the Transportation Security Administration — will be forced to work without pay until the end.
Some federal programs that people across the country rely on every day may also be disrupted — from reduced funding for food assistance to possible delays in customer service for Medicare and Social Security recipients. The ripple effects will depend on how long the shutdown lasts and the varying emergency plans in place at affected agencies.
“Overall, hundreds of millions of Americans, the majority of the population, are receiving some kind of benefit from the government,” said Forrest V. Mogelson III, an associate professor at Michigan State University’s Broad School of Business. V. Morgeson III) said. He noted that potential closures could bring significant financial uncertainty and economic impact.
Here’s what you need to know. Will SNAP be affected by the government shutdown? How about the World Internet Center?
The shutdown could jeopardize access to food and nutrition assistance programs for millions of Americans, with the impact depending on how long the shutdown lasts and the emergency funding for each program.
The Biden administration says nearly 7 million women and children who rely on the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants and Children (WIC) may be at risk of losing aid almost immediately, which could lead to a government shutdown. That’s because federal emergency funds that support WIC operations can be depleted in a matter of days, forcing states to rely on their own funds or carryover funds.
Families who benefit from the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program may also lose aid if the shutdown is extended. Regardless of what happens in Washington this weekend, families will continue to receive SNAP assistance in October as usual, according to the Department of Agriculture.
Affected families “are going to the food pantry,” said Dr. Nancy Nelson, senior associate dean for health policy at the University at Buffalo’s Jacobs School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences. “These people need help. These are moms. These are babies. So this is a real problem.” What about Head Start and free school lunches?
Head Start programs, which serve more than 10,000 disadvantaged children, will immediately lose federal funding, although the programs may be able to avoid immediate closures if the closures are short-lived.
The 10 programs, located in Alabama, Connecticut, Florida, Georgia, Massachusetts and South Carolina, serve just 820,000 children enrolled in the program at any given time .
Tommy Sheridan, deputy director of the National Head Start Association, said the programs ran into trouble because their grants began Oct. 1. Programs that do not begin grant funding on that date will continue to receive funding. But if the shutdown continues, the number of affected projects will grow as more grants need to be renewed.
In addition to Head Start, free school meals for low-income children have also raised concerns. But the Agriculture Department said it does not expect any immediate problems with federal child nutrition programs, including school meals, because those programs are partially supported by permanent and mandatory funding agencies.
The department said if the government shuts down, state and federal child nutrition operations will continue into October and could continue for several months. But without funding, the department will not be able to support these programs year-round. Will I continue to receive Social Security checks?
No matter what happens in Washington this weekend, Social Security and Supplemental Security Income recipients will continue to receive payments. But due to the furlough, response times to those with questions may be delayed.
“If you have a question about Social Security, you may not have anyone to answer your question,” Nelson said. “But the day-to-day transactions of sending checks will continue.”
According to a recent Social Security contingency plan, the agency will cease non-critical operations and those “not directly related to the accurate and timely payment of benefits.” The issuance of new Social Security cards and benefits will continue. Will the shutdown affect Medicare and Medicaid?
Medicare and Medicaid benefits will also continue — as both are mandatory programs funded separately from annual appropriations. This means patients should still be able to see doctors and pay for their care.
However, similar to Social Security, customer service may experience delays and disruptions due to furloughs. About half of the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services would be furloughed if funding lapses, according to emergency details released by the Department of Health and Human Services last week. How will flights and other travel be affected?
The country’s air travel system is expected to operate relatively normally during the shutdown. Air traffic controllers and TSA screeners are considered essential workers, however, those people won’t be paid until the shutdown is over, and TSA lines could be longer if enough screeners stay home.
Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg said Wednesday that air travel will remain safe during the shutdown, but training for new air traffic controllers will be halted and 1,000 trainees will be furloughed.
Even before this week’s deadline, airlines had complained that a shortage of air traffic controllers was causing flight delays and cancellations. The Federal Aviation Administration said in August that it hired 1,500 new controllers last year and asked Congress for funding to hire 1,800 more controllers in the new fiscal year.
According to guidance the State Department provided to employees last week, passport and visa processing will continue during the shutdown “as circumstances warrant.” The department said consulates in the U.S. and abroad will remain open “as long as there are sufficient fees to support operations,” but passport work may cease if work buildings are closed.
It already takes much longer to obtain a passport or visa than before the pandemic. Most Customs and Border Protection personnel are also considered essential and are expected to work at airports and border crossings. Will student loans be disrupted?
If the spending measure is not passed by Saturday’s deadline, the government shutdown would begin on the same day student loans resume from the pandemic pause. Interest begins to accrue again September 1st.
However, regardless of the closing, the borrower’s payments will still be due. In most cases, loan servicers will be able to continue processing payments on a regular basis, but as institutions may be furloughed, people who need to consult or seek assistance from the Department of Education may experience delays.
As a result, students applying for federal aid during the closure may experience similar delays. For example, officials noted that processing FAFSA applications, paying Pell grants and seeking public loan forgiveness may be disrupted. Will email service be slow?
The U.S. Postal Service will not be affected by the government shutdown. The Postal Service does not rely on taxpayer dollars because it typically obtains funding through the sale of products and services.
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