federal government shutdown: Government Shutdown update: What’s open, what’s closed, and what you need to know
USA Today said Sen. Katie Britt of Alabama wants Democrats to “do the right thing” and open the government first. The Senate will meet and vote for the 11th time on Monday at 5:30 PM ET to try to end the shutdown. If the bill is passed and signed by President Donald Trump, the shutdown will end. If unsuccessful, it continues until the third week.
Federal workers impact
The US government is mostly closed just after midnight on October 1st. More than 750,000 federal employees have been told not to report to work. But essential workers such as soldiers, police, border patrol and air traffic controllers still need to work during the shutdown.
Trump signed an executive order to pay active-duty military personnel, but it doesn’t cover all federal employees who are required to work. As The USA Today reports, Democrats want tax breaks for the 24 million Americans who use Affordable Care Act insurance. They reject a spending bill that doesn’t solve this problem. Senate Democrats want to make the ACA tax cut permanent and prevent the Trump administration from temporarily halting funding.
Republicans and Trump say they could fix the ACA tax cuts separately, but they don’t want it included in the budget deal. Republicans say Democratic plans could make illegal payments to people in the United States, but the Congressional Budget Office says that’s not true. Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid payments are still ongoing. 12% of Social Security staff will not be working and marketing campaigns will be halted.
Services are still running
This is clear because the United States Postal Service (USPS) is not dependent on Congress for funding. Airports: More than 13,000 air traffic controllers and 50,000 TSA officers are required to work, but they won’t get paid until Congress approves a budget deal. Food assistance programs such as SNAP and WIC are continuing as funds allow, but November payments may fall short if the shutdown continues. Health officials in North Carolina, Wisconsin and Minnesota said SNAP food money may not be enough for November. Approximately 1.3 million soldiers were paid salaries in the army on October 15. However, more than half of the 740 thousand civilian Defense employees are not working. Key civilian employees in cybersecurity, medical care, weapons, intelligence and logistics are still working. National Guard forces deployed in U.S. cities also need to continue operating. Homeland Security, immigration and border officials: Only 5% of 271,000 workers were furloughed. More than 70,000 sworn officers in Customs, Border Patrol, ICE, Secret Service, TSA and other agencies will be paid for all hours worked, The USA Today reports. This shutdown is the 15th since 1981 and is on track to become the third longest shutdown in U.S. history, surpassing the 17-day shutdowns under Jimmy Carter (1978) and Barack Obama (2013).
FAQ
Q1. Is the US government still closed?
Yes, most federal offices have been closed since October 1, but essential workers like military, border and air traffic personnel still need to work.
Q2. What services are still operating during the shutdown?
Social Security, Medicare, Medicaid, USPS, SNAP, WIC, and essential airport and military services continue to operate.
