What to Expect During The Government Shutdown

What to Expect During the Government Shutdown:

As you will know by now, last night Congress failed to come to an agreement on how to fund government operations and allowed the government to shutdown. (For that story, follow this link.) Here is a quick overview of how that will affect you and the population at large.

Transportation:

  • Air traffic controllers will remain on the schedule to keep planes flying safely.
  • The Amtrak train system will also continue operations as usual.
  • Travelers will still be able to apply for passports, however expect delays in having them processed and do not attempt to get one at a shut down government building.
  • I would recommend trying the post office if you need one quickly.

Services Being Halted:

  • Applications for small business loans will not be processed
  • Civil litigations
  • Census data collection
  • Government funded medical research
  • Gun permit applications will be delayed or not processed
  • The IRS will cancel audit appointments (Okay, this one isn’t so bad)
  • All offshore renewable energy and oil drilling will be suspended
  • Department of Education loans and grants may be delayed
  • The NLRB will delay work on cases until after the shutdown
  • The E-Verify system to determine employment eligibility will not function during the shutdown.

National Security:

  • These functions including Military, boarder security, coastal protection, law enforcement, criminal investigations, counter-terrorism, and federal prisons are exempt from the shutdown. The FBI, DEA, Secret Service, U.S. Marshals, and TSA will all continue to function as normal.

Other Services

  • The Postal Service will operate as usual.
  • Social Security, Medicare, and Medicaid payments will all continue as usual.
  • The FDA will continue inspections of food.
  • The CDC will STOP disease surveillance, which is slightly nerve wrecking as flu season is right around the corner.
  • Obamacare (The Affordable Care Act) WILL continue to be funded.

These are only the highlights, for the full details check out this link from the Wall Street Journal.