What closes when the
government shuts down
From federal financial aid to national parks
Adapted from a story by The Washington Post’s Kim Soffen and Reuben Fischer-Baum.
The Senate failed to agree on a short-term spending deal Friday night, causing the government to shut down at midnight.
Immigration is at the center of the debate. Democrats have said they will not support a month-long government spending bill until Congress produces a deal to protect the status of nearly 700,000 undocumented immigrants brought to the United States at a young age. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (Ky.) and other GOP lawmakers say Democrats are displaying more loyalty to “dreamers” than Americans.
After midnight, the White House drew a hard line, saying they would not negotiate over immigration until government funding is restored.
Republican and Democratic leaders both said they would continue to talk on Saturday, raising the possibility of a solution over the weekend. Office of Management and Budget Director Mick Mulvaney said Friday that the conflict has a “really good chance” of being resolved before government offices open Monday, suggesting that a shutdown’s impacts could be limited.
By Sunday morning, however, the parties were still locked in a stalemate. On Twitter, President Trump said Republicans should use the “Nuclear Option” to change the rules of the Senate and try to pass a long-term spending bill with a simple majority.
Here’s how the government shutdown could affect you:
Benefits
Open
- Social Security and other government benefits
- Medicare and Medicaid
- Veteran’s hospitals
Recipients of Social Security, SSI, unemployment insurance, TANF, food stamps and some other programs will continue to receive benefits. The programs’ spending is not dependent on Congress’s explicit funding. However, some processes related to applying for or appealing these benefits may be stopped.
Four years ago during the last shutdown, some physician payments were slightly delayed, but Medicare and Medicaid continued running.
Government facilities
Open
- Local parks, schools, libraries and city government buildings
- Federal prisons
- Federal courts
- Congress
Closed
- Most federal office buildings
Most departments and agencies will be shut down, and the employees sent home.
Recreation
Open
- National parks and monuments
Closed
- Smithsonian museums and the National Zoo
- National Zoo panda cam
The museums and the zoo have funding to stay open through Sunday but will close on Monday. However, the animals will still be fed.
Travel and shipping
Open
- U.S. Postal Service
- Airports
- Amtrak
The U.S. Postal Service is an independent agency, so it is not affected by the government shutdown. Air traffic controllers, TSA officers and customs agents will continue to work at airports, and Amtrak — which is only partially funded by the federal government — will remain open.
Limited
- Passport office
Some passport offices will likely remain open. Those located inside federal buildings will close.
Other
Open
- Federal financial aid
- Food inspection
- Special counsel Robert Mueller’s Russia investigation
Though 90 percent of Education Department staff will be sent home, people assigned to federal financial aid will continue working. USDA inspection of meat, poultry and eggs will also continue.
Closed
- Some disaster-recovery efforts
- IRS customer service
- Many government research operations
Some long-term responses to hurricanes, wildfires and mudslides will pause. Some government research projects, such as geological and weather research, will cease. Non-governmental organizations that already received government grants, however, will not be affected by the shutdown.
Limited
- Military operations
Active-duty troops will continue to work, though some training exercises would cease.
