Impact of government shutdown on social security
Here’s what you need to know about Social Security payments during the ongoing government shutdown.
The partial federal government shutdown entered its 15th day on Wednesday, October 15, after the U.S. Senate failed for the eighth time to secure enough votes to overcome the budget impasse. Meanwhile, the White House Office of Management and Budget vowed to “tighten up and get through” the shutdown while continuing to cut staff.
“Pay the military, pay law enforcement, keep RIF going, and wait,” the Budget Office said in a post to X.
Wednesday is payday for military personnel, with President Donald Trump insisting active duty soldiers should be paid regardless of the government shutdown.
In an Oct. 11 post on Truth Social, President Trump said he is using his authority as commander-in-chief to direct Army Secretary Pete Hegseth to “use all available funds to pay our troops on Oct. 15.”
According to Reuters, the president did not disclose the source of the funding or the total amount used to pay soldiers, and the White House did not respond to a request for comment.
Is the federal government still closed?
Yes, the federal government has remained largely shut down since shortly after midnight on October 1st.
More than 750,000 federal employees have been furloughed and ordered not to report to work. Employees deemed essential to public safety, such as military personnel, law enforcement officers and air traffic controllers, must work without pay until a budget deal is reached.
What do Democrats and Republicans want from reopening the government?
Democrats want to secure tax cuts for the 24 million Americans who get insurance through the Affordable Care Act (known as Obamacare) and refuse to support government spending bills that do not address the issue.
Senate Democrats want to make the tax cuts, which are set to expire at the end of the year, permanent and provide reassurance to prevent the Trump administration from temporarily withholding funds.
Republicans and the president have said they are open to considering fixes to the expiring ACA tax cuts, but want the issue to be addressed separately from the ongoing budget impasse. Republicans also argue that the Democratic proposal could pay some of the health insurance premiums of undocumented immigrants. That’s not true, according to the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office.
What about Social Security, Medicare, and Medicaid?
According to the Social Security Administration’s closure plan, the agency will continue to provide retirement and disability benefits, but will furlough 12% of its employees and suspend marketing campaigns.
Payments will continue under the Medicare and Medicaid health care programs as well.
Will American mail be delivered?
The USPS said in a statement that it is open because the U.S. Postal Service is not dependent on Congress for funding.
What about the airport?
More than 13,000 air traffic controllers and about 50,000 Transportation Security Administration employees will still be required to report to work during the shutdown.
Will food assistance continue under SNAP and WIC?
The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, the nation’s largest food assistance program, and the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children, known as WIC, will continue operating during the closure as funding allows, according to closure planning documents issued by the U.S. Department of Agriculture.
On October 7, White House Press Secretary Caroline Leavitt said in a social media post that the White House had found “creative ways” to continue funding WIC through tariff revenue. On October 9, the Associated Press reported that $300 million of unused tariff revenue and remaining funds from other programs had been injected into the program.
What does the military shutdown mean for the military?
While 1.3 active duty military personnel could receive paychecks on Wednesday, about 55% of the Pentagon’s 740,000 civilian workforce has been furloughed, including employees in training, acquisition, and administrative support. Civilians in cybersecurity, medical care, weapons systems maintenance, intelligence, and logistics are still working and are not included in President Trump’s pay order for active-duty employees.
The National Guard, which President Trump deployed to American cities, must also remain active.
What about Homeland Security, Immigration and Border Patrol agents?
Only 5% of the Department of Homeland Security’s 271,000 employees are furloughed, including those involved in research, planning, training and auditing.
Secret Service agents, immigration and border officials, airport security screeners, Coast Guard personnel and Federal Emergency Management Agency emergency personnel remain on the job.
The shutdown is the 15th since 1981 and is expected to be the fourth longest in U.S. history, surpassing the 12-day shutdown in 1977 under President Jimmy Carter. The longest shutdown lasted 35 days during President Trump’s first term in 2018-2019.
Contributors: USA TODAY’s Joey Garrison, Bert Janssen, Melina Khan, Swapna Venugopal Ramaswamy, Michelle Del Rey, Zachary Schermele, Mike Snyder and Mary Walrath-Holdridge
