Important Information Regarding A Government Shutdown
At midnight tonight, Monday, September 30, funding for federal government operations will expire. While budget negotiations are continuing, government services unrelated to national security and public safety will cease until a final agreement can be reached to fund the federal government.
In the meantime, my office will be open and ready to serve your needs, answer your questions, and help in any way we can—just as always. I strongly feel that, as public servants, we’re obligated to keep working for you, even when partisan politics attempts to pull us in the wrong direction. I’ve also included a list of services below that may be interrupted during a shutdown.
If you have additional questions, please email me or call 202-225-2161.
Sincerely,
/s
These critical services should not be interrupted:
- Social Security: Social Security checks for seniors, people with disabilities and survivors would still go out. New Social Security applications, however, will likely not be processed, as during previous shutdowns.
- Military: Our troops would continue to serve, though their pay could be put on hold.
- Homeland Security: Critical homeland security functions such as border security would continue. members of the Coast Guard, Transportation Security Administration officers, Secret Service personnel and other law enforcement agents and officers. US Citizenship and Immigration Services employees will continue to process green card applications.
- Mail Delivery: The Postal Service, which is self-funded, will continue to operate.
- FAA: The FAA would keep the air traffic control system open and safe.
- Courts: Federal courts will continue to operate normally for about 10 business days after the start of a shutdown. If the shutdown continues after such a point, the judiciary would have to begin furloughs of employees whose work is not considered essential. Cases would continue to be heard, however, in such a case. The US supreme court is scheduled to begin its new term on October 7. In previous government shutdowns, it continued to operate as normal.
These services will likely be affected:
- Unemployment benefits: The federal funds that help states pay the costs of their unemployment programs could be affected depending on the length of the shutdown.
- Veterans’ services: While VA hospitals will remain open, veterans’ benefits could be delayed or reduced, as was the case during the last shutdown.
- National parks: National parks and the National Wildlife Refuge Systems would be among the first places to close if the government shuts down, as during the last shutdown.
- Passports/Visas: Passport and visa applications will not be processed. The State Department will continue processing foreign applications for visas and US applications for passports, since fees are collected to finance those services. Delays, however are expected due to a shutdown. Embassies and consulates overseas will continue to provide services to American citizens.
- Tax Refunds: IRS processing of tax refunds for some returns would be suspended.
- FHA Loans: FHA new home loan guarantees may cease.
- SBA Loans: SBA approval of applications for business loan guarantees and direct loans to small businesses would likely cease, impacting the engines of our economy and potentially slowing the economic recovery.
- Farm loans/payments: Farm loans and farm payments would cease.
- Museums: National museums, including the Smithsonian Institution, would close in the event of a government shutdown.
- Access to the U.S. Capitol: Guide and staff-led tours of the Capitol will be cancelled.
