A government shutdown leads to the temporary closure or reduction of many federal government operations and services, affecting various agencies and programs. Here is what will shut down or be affected during a government shutdown:
- Hundreds of thousands of federal employees who are deemed non-essential or non-excepted will be furloughed and temporarily suspended from work without pay until funding is restored.
- Many government agencies will halt or slow down operations that do not provide essential services.
- Non-essential federal services like national parks, some Social Security administrative functions, passport and visa processing may face delays or closures.
- Communication lines such as hotlines, emails, social media, and responses to press inquiries from federal agencies will be reduced or paused.
- Certain nutrition assistance programs, such as the WIC food program, are at risk of running out of funds quickly in a prolonged shutdown.
- The federal judiciary might exhaust available funds and limit court operations if the shutdown extends.
- Regional offices of agencies like the Department of Veterans Affairs may close, affecting services like death benefits and cemetery maintenance.
What remains operational or minimally affected:
- Essential services related to national security and public safety, such as air traffic control, immigration enforcement, border security, law enforcement (e.g., FBI, CIA, Drug Enforcement Administration), and disaster aid, will continue.
- Social Security disability and retirement benefits and programs like Medicare and Medicaid will continue as they are funded through mandatory spending, though possible delays could occur due to staffing shortages.
- The U.S. Postal Service remains operational because it is self-funded.
- Active-duty military personnel will continue to serve without pay until the shutdown is resolved.
- Certain critical health and emergency medical services will carry on despite the shutdown.
Overall, the government shutdown disrupts many everyday services and furloughs non-essential workers while essential national security, law enforcement, and mandatory benefit programs continue with possible delays and staff challenges.
