What the Government Shutdown Means for You

October 1, 2013

A government shutdown occurs when Congress fails to fund the government. This particular manufactured crisis was created after the far right in the House Republican Caucus insisted on delaying implementation of the protections found in the Affordable Care Act - legislation already approved by both chambers of Congress, signed by the President, and upheld by the U.S. Supreme Court. While a conversation on ways to improve the health care law is appropriate, to use the threat of a government shutdown to extract demands that the House Republican Caucus has been unsuccessful to achieve in the normal democratic process is reckless and inappropriate.

Even though Congressman Davis has adamantly opposed the sequester and continues to oppose the sequester he has voted to accept the current budget level for the Continuing Resolution to keep the government open until a new budget can be negotiated.

Ironically, within the first twelve hours or so of the ACA insurance exchanges going live at midnight last night, Healthcare.gov has been visited 2.8 million times, according to HHS. 81,000 people have called 1-800-318-2596.

During a government shutdown, the government stops all "non-essential" services, while essential services, such as the armed forces, border protection, air traffic controllers, and police and fire departments, will continue to operate. The Office of Congressman Davis will have staff available during the government shutdown to help constituents who are having difficulty accessing important federal government services.

The following is a list of frequently asked questions on how a government shutdown could impact you and your family.

What Services Will Be Stopped?

Economy

A one week shutdown will cost the economy about $10 billion
Hundreds of thousands of Federal employees immediately and indefinitely furloughed, and many Federal employees and contractors that continue to work not paid during the shutdown.
SBA stops approving applications for small businesses to obtain loans and loan guarantees, typically more than $1 billion per month.Housing loans to low and middle income families in rural communities put on hold, as well as start-up business loans for farmers and ranchers.
Projects to improve rail and other mass transit infrastructure will cease as nearly 1,300 grantees lose access to federal funds.
Commercial export sales halted.
Federal economic reports used by businesses and investors not released.
The government will stop or delay environmental reviews of planned transportation and energy-related projects, keeping companies from working on these projects.
Army Corps of Engineers construction stopped, hurting private companies and preventing job creation, and closure or reduced hours for 2,500 Corps of Engineers Sites.
The Administration on Children and Families (ACF) will not be able to award new TANF and child care grants, which provide a lifeline to low-income working families.
National parks, Smithsonian museums, and other federal lands closed immediately, negatively affecting local economies dependent on tourism.

National Security and Public Safety

Approximately 72 percent of the Intelligence community's civilian workforce furloughed.
Physical protection for diplomatic personnel and facilities in dangerous locations overseas compromised, and risk assessments to inform advisory warnings for American tourists and corporations overseas restricted.
Security assistance and counterterrorism aid for critical allies like Israel curtailed.
Delays in technology upgrades put us at greater risk for cyber attacks.
Federal efforts to enhance vehicle safety, aviation safety, and modernize our air traffic control system cease and aviation safety inspectors furloughed.
Training curtailed for federal law enforcement agents.
Chemical Facility Anti-terrorism Standards program closes down after October 4th.

Veterans

VA call centers and hotlines cease to function, and VBA Regional Offices public contact services not available.
No decisions issued on claims appeals or motions.
Recruiting and hiring of Veteran job applicants cease.
Claims processing and payments in the compensation, pension, education, and vocational rehabilitation programs suspended when available funding is exhausted in late October.
The federal bureau responsible for providing specialized and targeted employment and training services to veterans will cease to operate.

Health, Education, and Research

Federal assistance to school districts, colleges and universities, and vocational rehabilitation agencies severely curtailed.
Important government research into life-threatening diseases, environmental protection, and other areas halted.
NIH shuts down most medical research taking place on its Bethesda campus, stop admitting new patients into its research hospital, and stop reviewing grant applications and making or renewing research grants.
CDC to greatly curtail its activities to promote immunization, detect outbreaks of infectious diseases, support state and local health departments, and update disease treatment and prevention recommendations.
CMS unable to continue discretionary funding for health care fraud and abuse.
FDA unable to support majority of food safety, nutrition, and cosmetics activities.

Legislation signed evening of Monday, September 30th ensures that servicemembers will be paid during potential government shutdown.

Will I Still Get My Social Security Benefits?

Current law suggests that the Social Security Administration has the authority to continue mailing checks, as was the case during the last government shutdown in 1996. Though checks will continue to mail, a number of Social Security employees will be furloughed, which means new Social Security claims may not be processed. You should expect delays if you need to contact the Social Security Administration.

Will Veteran Benefits Continue?

While VA hospitals will remain open, the last government shutdown saw many veterans' access to benefits reduced.

Will Unemployment Benefits Be Affected?

Depending on the length of the shutdown, the federal funds that help states pay the costs of their unemployment programs could run out, which would require the state to step in and advance the money to keep their programs running. This is not an immediate consequence of a government shutdown but a possible outcome depending on the length.

Will Passports and Visas Be Impacted?
Yes. You should expect delays processing passport and visa requests during a government shutdown. If you have foreign travel plans over the next several months, you are highly encouraged to begin your paperwork as soon as possible.

Will I Still Have Access to My Medicare?
If you are currently enrolled in Medicare, your coverage should continue as usual. If there is a complication with your coverage, you should expect delays when contacting Medicare. If you become eligible for Medicare during the shutdown, there may be delays in your enrollment. Please call our office if you experience a delay in your enrollment.

Are Claims with the IRS Impacted?
There may be delayed tax refunds during this government shutdown. The extent to which this problem manifests depends on the length of the shutdown.

What Services Will Continue?
Services that are deemed essential for the safety of human life and the protection of property will be continued. This includes the armed forces, border patrol, police, fire fighting, and federal workers who provide medical care on the job. The Postal Service and the Federal Reserve, which are both self-funded, will also continue to operate. Most state services will not be directly impacted.

Congressional Pay
The 27th amendment says no change can be made to Congressional pay until at least one federal congressional election takes place. This was meant to block Congress from voting itself immediate pay increases, but has the related effect of making it impossible to cancel Congress' pay. It is unconstitutional not to pay Members of Congress right now.

To find more information on the government shutdown, please visit this helpful guide, Shutdown of the Federal Government: Causes, Processes, and Effects, compiled by the non-partisan Congressional Research Service.