The Daily Observer London Desk: Reporter- Donna Robert
The IRS could partially close, hundreds of thousands of federal workers will temporarily miss paychecks, but Social Security benefits will still be paid if the government shuts down as expected at midnight Saturday.
Mail will still be delivered, but travelers at airports should expect longer lines, and visitors may get turned away at national parks when the government runs out of money at the end of the current fiscal year.
The impasse in Congress over funding for fiscal 2025 also will result in 1.3 million active-duty U.S. troops not getting paid until lawmakers approve new appropriations. That’s when they also will get their back pay missed during the shutdown.
The operations of three special counsels won’t be interrupted in their probes of President Biden (classified documents), son Hunter Biden (firearm and tax violations) and former President Donald Trump (classified documents and 2020 election interference).
The most recent government shutdown, in 2018-2019, lasted 34 days and was the longest in modern history. Nobody knows whether this one will be longer.
Here are some of the expected impacts of a shutdown:
FEDERAL WORKERS AND TROOPS
Each federal agency determines which workers are essential during a shutdown, while all others are furloughed and sent home. The vast majority of federal employees would start missing their biweekly paychecks on Oct. 13. By law, they will receive back pay when the impasse is resolved.
Because new funding for the Pentagon hasn’t been approved, active-duty troops won’t receive paychecks until the shutdown ends.
THE IRS
The federal tax collectors haven’t released a contingency plan yet for the shutdown, but typically the IRS cuts back drastically on its operations. During the last shutdown, about 12% of IRS workers remained on the job.
The IRS could use some of its $80 billion in funding from last year’s Inflation Reduction Act to keep some services running, although officials haven’t announced their plans. Furloughs would likely prevent workers from helping to resolve taxpayer disputes or answering phones.
Individual taxpayers and businesses who requested six-month extensions for their tax returns in April will still be required to file by Oct. 16.
ENTITLEMENTS
Social Security checks will be delivered as normal because the benefit is tied to payroll taxes instead of annual appropriations. The agency also will continue to issue new and replacement Social Security cards.
Medicare and Medicaid benefits will continue, although the Social Security Administration will not issue replacement Medicare cards.
Food stamps could be delayed.
TRAVEL
Most federal employees in travel-related jobs will remain at work without getting paid. The Transportation Security Administration would keep all but 4,000 of its 59,000 employees on the job. Air traffic controllers also would remain on the job without paychecks.
But air travelers can still expect delays, as happened during the last shutdown when airports were hit by higher levels of no-show workers.
The State Department will continue to issue visas and passports in the U.S. and abroad, although some services could be affected by building closures.
Amtrak will continue to operate.
THE BORDER
Customs and Border Protection is treated as an essential law-enforcement operation and will keep working during a shutdown. Ports of entry at the overwhelmed southern border will continue to operate, as will Border Patrol agents.
Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, Kentucky Republican, has questioned the wisdom of House Republicans forcing a shutdown over the issue of border security. He said the result would be Customs and Border Patrol workers trying to prevent smuggling and illegal migrant crossings without being paid.
VETERANS AND DEFENSE
While active-duty troops will remain at their posts, most civilian Defense Department employees will be furloughed. Military burials, as well as tours at Arlington National Cemetery, will continue.
Veteran benefits, including health care, disability checks and pensions, will continue to be paid. Nearly all of the 414,000 employees at the Department of Veterans Affairs would continue working.
HEAD START
The White House estimated that about 10,000 children will lose childcare services starting in October due to disruptions of programs such as Head Start, which could force some childcare centers to close.
POSTAL SERVICE
Mail delivery will go on and post offices will remain open.
NATIONAL PARKS
The National Park Service has allowed at least some parks, roads, trails and open-air memorials to remain open during past government shutdowns, but without guides or maintenance such as the cleaning of restrooms. It’s not clear yet what the NPS will do in this shutdown.
In 2018-19, memorials on the National Mall in Washington stayed open without restrooms or visitor services. But during the 2013 shutdown, the park service turned away millions of visitors at roughly 400 parks and other sites.
THE FEDERAL RESERVE
The central bank does not receive appropriations from Congress and will remain in operation, including the Fed’s next meeting on Nov. 1, when it could raise interest rates again.
