Government Shutdown FAQS
This week, President Trump and MAGA Republicans once again forced our nation into a government shutdown – the third shutdown to happen on his watch as President of the United States. All because he won’t work with Democrats to prevent massive increases in health care premiums and avert millions of Americans from losing coverage.
I’ve been working with my colleagues to avert this devastating and unnecessary crisis, but for months Republicans have refused to even engage in negotiations, again insisting that because they controlled Congress and the White House, they should not listen to our requests for even basic talks or commonsense demands for preventing health care costs from rising.
Let there be no mistake:
Republicans control the White House, the Senate and the House of Representatives. Not Democrats. Republicans have let the government shut down, put American workers and our economy in peril, and will be the reason that health care costs continue to rise.
You can watch my recent recap on how we ended up in this crisis here.
I want to make sure you know how this shutdown could affect services you use.
This webpage is where I will post updated guidance so you can understand how a shutdown will affect your benefits, our communities, and the programs that Californians rely on.
Frequently Asked Questions about Government Shutdowns
Why does the government shut down?
The government shuts down when Congress is unable to pass appropriations bills that finance the operations of federal agencies and programs, such as the National Institutes of Health (NIH) or the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP). These appropriations bills are designed to fund the government until the conclusion of each fiscal year, which ends on September 30.
If a new appropriations bill isn’t enacted by this deadline, Congress needs to pass a temporary measure, known as a continuing resolution (CR), which sustains the government’s funding at its current level. In the absence of an approved appropriations bill or a CR, the government will enter a shutdown due to lack of appropriated funding.
What government services and programs are impacted during a government shutdown and what effect does this have on the public?
A government shutdown impacts a variety of services and programs.
During the 2018-2019 government shutdown, for example, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) suspended routine inspections, increasing public health risks. The National Park Service stopped trash collection and road repairs, creating unsanitary conditions and unsafe roads, while some national parks and museums closed entirely. Additionally, over 86,000 immigration court hearings were canceled, exacerbating existing backlogs. The shutdown also threatened the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) program in some states, putting low-income families and children at risk.
These disruptions illustrate how shutdowns can detrimentally affect public services and society’s most vulnerable members.
Will I continue to receive my Social Security and SSI checks?
Yes, Social Security and Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) checks will continue to be sent to recipients.
The Social Security Administration (SSA) will provide limited services like issuing Social Security cards and holding appointments for benefit applications. However, SSA will stop services like benefit verifications and processing overpayments. Customer service wait times will dramatically increase, as staffing levels will be affected.
Will Medicare and Medicaid benefits be affected?
Current Medicare and Medicaid beneficiaries will continue to receive health care services. Prolonged government shutdowns can begin to affect wait times and claims processing times.
What happens to veterans' services?
All Veterans Affairs (VA) medical facilities and clinics will remain operational.
The VA will continue to process veterans’ benefits. However, veterans will be affected by the shuttering of other services that they count on, including education and job training, support for veteran-owned businesses, and even assistance for homeless veterans.
Will military and federal retiree benefits be suspended?
Military and federal retirees will continue to receive their retirement benefits. Military retirees are paid through the Military Retirement Fund (MRF). Federal retirees’ benefits, like Social Security benefits, fall under the mandatory budget category and are not affected by a government shutdown. Processing new applications or other requested changes will be delayed.
What other government services and programs remain uninterrupted during a shutdown?
During a government shutdown, essential services related to national security and public safety like inpatient and emergency medical care, air traffic control, law enforcement, border security, disaster aid, and power grid maintenance, continue, though they may face disruptions.
For instance, during the 2018-2019 shutdown, while air traffic controllers worked without pay, air travel saw widespread delays and even a temporary ground stops of traffic.
What happens to federal employees during a shutdown?
Federal employees from shut-down agencies are either furloughed—prohibited from doing work and unpaid—or required to work without pay if they are in a role that impacts public safety or otherwise must continue. In some cases, workers whose funding is not derived from annual appropriations bills will continue to work and be paid as usual. If you are paid by the federal government and are unsure of how a shutdown will affect you, talk to your supervisor.
While federal law now guarantees retroactive payment for federal employees once the shutdown ends, this does not avert immediate financial difficulties and does not apply to federal contractors.
During the 2018-2019 partial government shutdown, around 2 million people were employed by the federal government; 380,000 of them were furloughed and 420,000 worked without pay. Many delayed mortgage or credit card payments, risking late fees or loan defaults.
In 2013, there were over 2 million federal employees, with about 850,000 furloughed during the shutdown.
Government contractors, unlike direct federal employees, typically do not receive back pay after shutdowns. In the 2018-2019 shutdown, it’s estimated that 4.1 million people worked under government contracts, though the exact number of those furloughed is unclear.
President Trump has indicated that he intends to use this shutdown to fire large amounts of federal government employees that he would otherwise not be able to target — effectively using the federal workforce as hostages in any negotiations. During a normal shutdown, non-excepted employees would be furloughed, meaning they would have to stay at home without a paycheck until the shutdown ends. President Trump’s Office of Management and Budget (OMB) Director Russell Vought has instructed agencies to instead draw up plans to permanently fire these workers who would otherwise be furloughed. At some agencies, this means that Trump is threatening to fire 90 percent or more of the agency workforce. We will fight this illegal action. For more information, please see this article.
Which federal employees keep working during a government shutdown?
When the government shuts down, federal agencies are required to classify their employees whose salaries have lapsed as either “excepted” or “not excepted.” The employees classified as “excepted” work without pay during the shutdown. The employees classified as “not excepted” are put on furlough.
What is the impact on U.S. military personnel and federal law enforcement?
All active-duty and Guard and Reservists on active-duty orders are excepted and therefore are required to work without pay. On-base non-acute health care will cease, although off-base care provided through Tricare will not be affected. On base, childcare will be open on a case-by-case basis. Federal law enforcement will also be required to work without pay for the duration of a shutdown.
What does this mean for disaster relief efforts?
Since disaster relief, including recovery, is funded through the Disaster Relief Fund, efforts should generally continue. We will update this page with guidance on how this lapse in funding could impact Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) operations should additional information become available.
Will air travel be affected?
Air traffic controllers, Transportation Security Administration (TSA) officers, and Customs and Border Protection (CBP) agents will remain on the job without pay. If some do not report to work, as has happened in prior shutdowns, there will be significant delays and longer wait times across the country.
Ports of entry, including airports, will be open and process passengers. Inspection and law enforcement personnel will continue to carry out their functions. However, processing of any applications filed at a U.S. border may be impacted.
Will my mail still arrive?
Yes. The U.S. Postal Service is not affected by a shutdown as most of its operations are funded through the sale of postage and other services.
Will I still be able to visit National Parks and monuments?
In violation of federal law, the Trump administration has decided to keep many national parks open. Parks with open-air, accessible areas will largely remain open. According to the National Park Service’s (NPS) shutdown plan, “park roads, lookouts, trails, and open-air memorials will generally remain accessible to visitors.” Parks will use Federal Lands Recreation Enhancement Act fees to “provide basic visitor services in a manner that maintains restrooms and sanitation, trash collection, road maintenance, campground operations, law enforcement and emergency operations, and staffing entrance gates as necessary.” However, national park sites that can be made physically inaccessible (like buildings or gated parking lots) will be closed off. But other NPS sites will remain open. In total, 64 percent of NPS employees are expected to be furloughed. This haphazard plan will cause a significant amount of confusion for Americans across the country. During the 2018-2019 Trump shutdown, the first Trump administration kept national parks open without an appropriations law enacted by Congress. The U.S. Government Accountability Office found that the Trump administration violated federal law by doing this. Smithsonian museums will stay open at least until October 6, 2025.
What is the impact of a government shutdown on the public and the U.S. economy?
Shutdowns are detrimental to both the public, who face service and program disruptions, and federal employees, who are either furloughed or required to work without pay. Moreover, they pose a significant strain on government resources.
OMB and federal agencies need to develop and implement shutdown plans, a process that requires substantial staff time and resources, potentially detracting from public services. Shutdowns also cause revenue losses, such as those from visitor fees or gift store sales when national parks close. Additionally, shutdowns negatively impact the economy.
The Congressional Budget Office estimated that the 2018-2019 shutdown cost the U.S. economy $11 billion, mainly due to federal workers reducing their spending in response to lost pay. Notably, this decrease in spending may not rebound even after workers receive their back pay.
The 2018-2019 shutdown delayed over $2 billion in loans to small businesses since the Small Business Administration (SBA) was unable to make new loans.
How does this affect immigration benefit applications, passport services, and help for Americans overseas?
Consular, passport, and visa services are expected to continue in the immediate aftermath of a government shutdown. In a prolonged shutdown, passport and visa issuance could be slowed. Access to passport agencies located in some government buildings may be limited.
The United States Citizenship and Immigration Servies (USCIS) is a fee-funded agency and will largely be unaffected by a government shutdown, with several exceptions for programs that receive appropriations funding, which may be impacted.
What is the impact on food assistance?
The Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) will continue to operate as long as there is funding remaining, but benefits may cease if the funds run out before the shutdown is averted.
In the case of a prolonged shutdown, Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits may also be affected.
What is the impact on FDA activities?
Food and Drug Administration (FDA) will not accept new or generic drug applications or new medical device submissions, potentially delaying access to new, innovative medical treatments and more affordable prescription medications.
How will this affect environmental protection and cleanup?
The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) will stop inspecting most hazardous waste sites, as well as drinking water and chemical facilities. Efforts to address dangerous contaminants like per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) — which are linked to severe health effects, including cancer — will be delayed. This is because EPA’s civil enforcement program—which makes sure that businesses and individuals follow the law and don’t pollute—is halted during a shutdown. This means that EPA will stop regular inspections of facilities for air and water pollution and exposure to lead, asbestos, pesticides, and many more toxic chemicals. A shutdown will also cause cleanup activities at many Superfund sites to slow or cease.
During a shutdown, EPA cannot issue permits for commercial or infrastructure projects that need approvals under federal laws like the Safe Drinking Water Act, the Clean Water Act, or the Clean Air Act. State applications for EPA approval on important issues like water quality standards or maximum contamination levels would be put on hold.
Additionally, EPA will stop providing new grants to states, tribes, and nonprofit organizations during a shutdown. These grants are used to manage environmental management and enforcement programs and help keep air, water, and land clean and safe for human use.
What is the impact on HUD and USDA housing programs?
The Federal Housing Administration (FHA) will stop insuring some new mortgages, and the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) will stop processing some transactions and approvals of new loans unless they already have a firm commitment and are near closing. The FHA Resource Center remains open but with limited staff, causing longer response times.
The Department of Agriculture (USDA) will stop new loan and loan guarantee activity. USDA Rental assistance contracts may continue temporarily, but funding is limited without advanced appropriations. USDA may consider allowing property reserves to cover operations in a prolonged shutdown.
The VA will continue to guarantee home loans.
Rent payments for HUD-assisted households and Public Housing Operating Fund resources will continue through at least November 2025. Funding for federal housing assistance programs, such as Housing Choice Vouchers, may be jeopardized in a prolonged shutdown. Government shutdowns disrupt HUD’s ability to process grants, provide technical assistance, and perform basic oversight.
How will this impact Head Start and K-12 education?
Most K-12 formula funds (such as Title I and IDEA) are normally distributed on October 1 and are generally not affected by a shutdown. The Department of Education is expected to release remaining FY25 formula funds on October 1, even in the event of a federal shutdown.
However, programs that are not advance funded, like Impact Aid, which support school districts with tax-exempt federal land such as national parks, military bases, and Native American reservations, would be delayed.
Head Start and Early Head Start funding may be disrupted depending on individual grant cycles. The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) issues these grants on a rolling basis and has no reserve to maintain operations during a shutdown. Programs expecting funds on October 1 could be left without federal cash, putting centers at risk of disruption. During previous shutdowns, many Head Start programs temporarily closed their doors.
How will this affect small businesses?
The Small Business Administration (SBA) will stop processing new business loans, such as through the 7(a) and 504 programs. However, SBA’s Disaster Loan Program will continue regular operations.
What does this mean for medical research?
The National Institutes of Health (NIH) will be forced to delay new clinical trials. New patients who are waiting for a chance at new treatment through a clinical trial will be turned away. All NIH grant peer review meetings, advisory council meetings, issuance of new awards, and program and grant management activities will be paused.
What is the process to end a government shutdown, and can the President unilaterally end it?
To end a government shutdown, Congress needs to pass, and the President must sign, appropriations bills to fund the departments and agencies that have been shut down.
The President does not have the power to end a shutdown unilaterally. The funding bills follow the same legislative process as any other bill, requiring approval from both the House and Senate before the President can sign them into law.