Who is to blame for the government shutdown? Americans speak out
From furloughed workers to small business owners, Americans told USA TODAY Network how the government shutdown is impacting their lives.
The government shutdown stretches into another week as most congressional Democrats and Republicans remain at odds and federal workers, military personnel and other Americans worry about vital paychecks.
The Senate funding bill failed for the 10th time on Thursday, but senators are scheduled to vote again on Monday. Democrats are warning of significant increases in health insurance premiums and are calling for an extension of health care subsidies to be included in the spending bill. The impasse looms toward a three-week closure target.
The longest government shutdown was 35 days in 2018 and 2019 during President Donald Trump’s first term. President Trump has taken workarounds to pay military and other employees, but many federal employees are furloughed or working without pay.
“We have to figure out a way to pay the Marines,” Vice President J.D. Vance told soldiers gathered at Camp Pendleton in California on Saturday for an event celebrating the Marine Corps’ 250th anniversary.
At the same time, the Trump administration has cut thousands of jobs at some federal agencies during the government shutdown and targeted federal funding to states and cities in the blue.
On October 17, President Trump’s White House announced that the Army Corps of Engineers would “immediately halt” $11 billion in infrastructure projects in several Democratic-led cities.
Postal services, including mail delivery, will continue despite the government shutdown.
The U.S. Postal Service confirmed in a statement on Sept. 25 that operations will not be disrupted by the closure and that post offices will continue to operate “as usual.”
“Our services will not be affected by the government shutdown because we are an independent entity and are typically funded through the sale of our products and services rather than through taxes,” it said in a statement.
it’s complicated. Transportation Security Administration personnel and Federal Aviation Administration air traffic controllers are considered essential employees. Therefore, they are required to work during the shutdown even if they are not receiving a paycheck.
Although delays overall are fairly low, staffing issues at some air traffic control facilities are causing problems. Earlier this month, the FAA had to delay a flight to Burbank, Calif., after the tower there was deserted for several hours in the evening.
It is important to note that not all delays during the shutdown are due to lack of funds. Regardless of what’s happening in Washington, weather remains a major factor in flight delays.
Still, in previous shutdowns, more of these essential workers started missing work, which led to longer security lines and delays at some airports.
– Zack Wictor and Kathleen Wong
Thousands of U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs employees have been furloughed, and some Department of Veterans Affairs services have been affected by the closure.
Veterans benefits such as compensation, pensions, education, and housing will continue to operate as usual. Medical centers and clinics remain open. Support services for suicide prevention, homelessness and caregivers will also remain available.
However, during the closure, VA benefit local offices will be closed, transition program assistance will be suspended, and Veterans Cemetery grounds will not be maintained. Relief efforts through social media and email have also been suspended.
In an Oct. 7 letter to Veterans Affairs Secretary Doug Collins, members of the House and Senate Veterans Affairs committees criticized the agency’s response to the shutdown. Lawmakers argued that the agency was misleading over claims that it could not respond to communications from lawmakers during the shutdown.
Meanwhile, Collins called Congressional Democrats’ actions “one of the greatest displays of hypocrisy in recent history” in an op-ed for The Hill published Oct. 10.
Although “non-essential” government operations, including the National Park Service, have been suspended indefinitely, access to recreational areas themselves has not yet been affected by the federal government shutdown.
All 63 national parks across the country have technically been open for public use since closures began on October 1st.
However, some services, such as the Grand Canyon’s South Rim Visitor Center, may be restricted or closed to the public until a funding package is passed.
– Amaris Encinas and Sudiksha Kochi
Yes, Social Security payments, including Supplemental Security Income, retirement, disability, and survivor benefits, will continue during the government shutdown.
Social Security benefit programs are considered mandatory expenditures by law and are therefore not affected by the expiration of appropriations. Payments will continue to be made regularly during the shutdown.
Social Security offices will remain open during the closure, but only some services will be available.
– Sudiksha Kochi and Melina Khan
Approximately 46,000 full-time U.S. military personnel are without pay during the federal government shutdown, despite President Trump’s calls for active duty soldiers to be paid.
Affected military personnel, known as dual-status technicians, are full-time employees of the National Guard and other reserve units who, under federal law, are required to wear military uniform every day, maintain part-time military personnel, and meet military standards.
Deemed a “rare bird” by the Supreme Court, dual-status technicians often work side-by-side with active-duty members of the force, receiving different pay and different benefits for similar tasks and risks. Active-duty colleagues received their full paychecks on Oct. 15 after President Trump directed Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth to transfer approximately $6.5 billion in payroll funds.
– Davis Winkie and Sudiksha Kochi
The Senate is scheduled to reconvene Monday at 3pm ET. The Senate is then expected to vote on a measure to end the shutdown around 5:30 p.m. ET.
If passed, the government shutdown would end once President Trump signs the funding bill. But if the vote is rejected, the shutdown will continue as it has been for the past two and a half weeks.
– Sudiksha Kochi and Fernando Cervantes Jr.
Contributor: Swapna Venugopal Ramaswamy
