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How a government shutdown may impact you<\/p>\n
The federal government is on track to shut down unless Congress passes a stopgap spending bill before its deadline.<\/p>\n
unbranded – Newsworthy<\/p>\n
WASHINGTON \u2013 Senators rejected two plans<\/a> \u2013 one backed by Democrats and one by Republicans \u2013 that would have kept the government’s doors open<\/a> as a shutdown is set to start at midnight<\/a> tonight.<\/p>\n Trump and fellow Republican leaders in Congress were seeking an extension of current spending to keep the government funded through Nov. 21. The temporary funding patch was aimed at giving lawmakers time to negotiate a full year of funding for the year that starts Oct. 1. Trump has threatened federal layoffs<\/a> and program cuts if the shutdown happens.<\/p>\n But Democratic leaders Chuck Schumer in the Senate and Hakeem Jeffries in the House have argued <\/a>that failing to extend federal subsidies for Obamacare<\/a>, a marketplace for health insurance, will leave many people uncovered.<\/p>\n More: How the government shuts down and what it means for you<\/a><\/p>\n If the government closes its doors, services that are deemed \u201cessential\u201d will continue operating<\/a> despite a lapse in federal funding. For example, the U.S. Postal Service will continue delivering mail. The Social Security Administration will continue sending out retirement checks. Much of the Pentagon and the Department of Homeland Security will remain on the clock.<\/p>\n But \u201cnon-essential\u201d services could be significantly reduced. The National Park Service, for example, saw a reduction in visitor services and a buildup of trash during a 35-day shutdown in December 2018 and January 2019, according to the Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget<\/a>.<\/p>\n Here is what you need to know as the clock ticks down on the expiration of federal funding at midnight:<\/p>\n White House directs government to \u2018execute their plans\u2019 for shutdown<\/p>\n The White House directed federal departments to begin carrying out their plans for a government shutdown after Democrats blocked a Republican-backed proposal<\/a> Tuesday night that sought to keep the government funding through Nov. 21.<\/p>\n \u201cIt is now clear that Democrats will prevent passage of this clean (continuing resolution) prior to 11:59 p.m. tonight and force a government shutdown,\u201d White House Office of Management and Budget Director Russ Vought wrote in a memo to department heads<\/a>. \u201cAs such, affected agencies should now execute their plans for an orderly shutdown.\u201d<\/p>\n Hundreds of thousands of federal workers are expected to be placed on furloughs during a shutdown, while workers in essential services such as the military and law enforcement won\u2019t be paid while they work.<\/p>\n Trump has warned Democrats that his administration might also lay off \u201cvast numbers\u201d of federal workers and cut programs supported by Democrats under a shutdown.<\/p>\n Democrats on Congress have demanded the reversal of Medicaid cuts that Republicans passed this year and the extension of health care subsidies be included in a funding measure. The Republican-backed continuing resolution would have kept spending at current levels. – Joey Garrison<\/p>\n HUD website blasts Democrats for shutdown in pop-up banner<\/p>\n While other federal agencies were rolling out their contingency plans in the event of a federal shutdown, the Department of Housing and Urban Development took a political approach, posting a pop-up message on its website that blamed Democrats in Congress for the impasse.<\/p>\n “The Radical Left are going to shut down the government and inflict massive pain on the American people unless they get their $1.5 trillion wish list of demands. The Trump administration wants to keep the government open for the American people,” the message says.<\/p>\n The message came under quick criticism and was pegged as a violation of a federal law that prevents federal workers from using government resources to engage in political activity.<\/p>\n “It is COMPLETELY AND TOTALLY INAPPROPRIATE, not to mention ILLEGAL, to use an agency web page for such a partisan message. No previous administration, Republican or Democrat, would ever have done this,” Paul Jargowsky, a professor of Public Policy at Rutgers University \u2013 Camden said on X.<\/a> – Francesca Chambers<\/p>\n Trump says \u2018a lot of good\u2019 can come from a government shutdown<\/p>\n Hours before the government is set to close its doors, Trump said \u201ca lot of good\u201d can result from a shutdown because it would allow his administration to scrap programs and other spending<\/a> it doesn\u2019t want.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cWe\u2019re doing well as a country, so the last thing we want to do is shut it down,\u201d Trump said from the Oval Office in response to a question from a reporter. \u201cBut a lot of good can come down from shutdowns. We can get rid of a lot of things that we didn’t want. They\u2019d be Democrat things.\u201d<\/p>\n Trump has warned that his administration could lay off federal workers under a shutdown \u2013 an action that hasn\u2019t historically been taken during temporary stoppages of the federal government.<\/p>\n The president has showed no signs he will concede to demands of congressional Democrats, who have pushed for extending federal subsidies for Obamacare as part of a measure to fund the government. \u2212Joey Garrison\u00a0<\/p>\n More: Senate to vote on a government shutdown. What will Democrats do?<\/a><\/p>\n The Social Security Administration is projected to pay out $1.6 trillion to 72 million beneficiaries this year, making it a vital economic lifeline for much of the country.<\/p>\n A shutdown won\u2019t disrupt those payments.<\/p>\n Social Security is a mandatory spending program that is not subject to annual appropriations. However, staffing and some services could be impacted if they have a discretionary spending component,\u00a0according to the Committee for a Responsible Budget, a nonprofit that studies federal fiscal policy.<\/p>\n Sen. John Kennedy: No way out of a shutdown<\/p>\n Sen. John Kennedy, R-Louisiana, gave a candid assessment from the Senate floor of the prospects of any shutdown off-ramps.<\/p>\n “Once you shut the government down, you’ve got to get it back open,” he said. “How are they going to get it back open? We’re not going to agree to their demands.”<\/p>\n Though he characterized his colleagues across the aisle, including Schumer, as “smart people,” he said pressure from the Democrats’ base has blinded them to the harsh realities a shutdown will bring to Americans’ lives.<\/p>\n Trump and Democrats fail to reach deal ahead of shutdown deadline<\/p>\n President Donald Trump and Democrats failed to reach deal as the government shutdown deadline nears.<\/p>\n How is Veterans Affairs impacted by a government shutdown?\u00a0<\/p>\n The VA estimates that 97% of its employees continue work during a shutdown. But according to the department’s contingency plan, here’s what services would be impacted:<\/p>\n VA will stop providing transition program assistant and career counseling.VA’s GI Bill and National Cemetery Applicant Assistance hotlines will be closed.VA benefits regional offices will be closed.Public affairs and outreach to veterans will cease, including social media, VetResources emails and responses to press inquires.No grounds maintenance or placement of permanent headstones at VA cemeteries.Applications for pre-need burial at VA cemeteries won’t be processed.No printing of new Presidential Memorial Certificates.Not outreach to state, county, tribal, municipal, faith-based and community-based partners by VA Center Office.What does a government shutdown mean for student loans?\u00a0<\/p>\n In the event of a government shutdown, borrowers would still be required to make\u00a0payments on their outstanding student debt.\u00a0<\/p>\n The Department of Education will continue to disburse Pell Grants and Federal Direct Student loans, according to the department\u2019s contingency plan<\/a>. As available, permanent and multi-year appropriations will also be used to continue processing Free Applications for Federal Student Aid, or FAFSA, the plan said.\u00a0<\/p>\n During a lapse in funding, the department would cease any new grantmaking activities; however, grant programs typically make awards over the summer.<\/p>\n Borrowers with a question or dispute related to their loan may have a tougher time reaching the department, as it plans to furlough the majority of its staff.\u00a0<\/p>\n Experts say while most borrowers won\u2019t \u201cfeel\u201d a short shutdown, more issues could arise the longer it takes those in Washington to make a deal.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u2212 Rachel Barber\u00a0<\/p>\n Two unions say they are suing the Trump administration for threatening mass firings of federal workers in the event of a government shutdown<\/a>.\u00a0<\/p>\n The American Federation of Government Employees <\/a>and the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees<\/a> filed a federal lawsuit<\/a> in San Francisco on Tuesday. They are accusing the Office of Management and Budget <\/a>and its director, Russ Vought<\/a>, of violating the law with their threats to fire federal workers during a shutdown.<\/p>\n The lawsuit also names the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) and its director, Scott Kupor. The suit alleges that the OPM and Kupor issued “unlawful and unprecedented instructions” to federal workers to perform work during the federal government shutdown in order to carry out layoffs.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u2212 Terry Collins<\/p>\n A furlough is the “placing of an employee in a temporary nonduty, non-pay status because of lack of work or funds, or other non-disciplinary reasons,” according to the\u00a0Office of Personnel Management<\/a>.<\/p>\n When an agency does not have enough funds, such as in the case of a government shutdown, a \u201cshutdown\u201d furlough occurs. Those employees not categorized as “excepted,” or essential, pause their work.<\/p>\n Job-matching and hiring site Indeed<\/a>\u00a0describes a furlough as mandatory time off, typically implemented by companies as a cost-saving measure. Furloughs are temporary and the length of a furlough leave can vary, “from a reduction of hours per week to several months without work,” according to Indeed’s definition.<\/p>\n Each fiscal year,\u00a0Congress appropriates funds for federal agencies to operate. If Congress does not agree on appropriations or a temporary spending bill (called a continuing resolution), federal agencies must effectively shut down or stop normal spending, according to the\u00a0United States Office of Personnel Management<\/a>.\u00a0<\/p>\n![](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/86430284007-20250929-vpc-trump-dems-no-deal-on-shutdown-thumb-getty-00-00-00-00-still-004.jpg\"\/)
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