Government Shutdown Resources
Learn How It Affects You
Funding for the federal government expired at midnight on October 1, 2025.
I understand this shutdown may affect you, so here are some answers to some frequently asked questions.
Please know that I remain committed to serving you, and I am actively working to keep critical services up and running for our community.
This Republican-led federal government shutdown has serious impacts across the nation, hurting working families, damaging our economy, and jeopardizing our national security.
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Will I continue to receive my Social Security and SSI checks?
Current recipients will continue to receive their Social Security and SSI checks.
However, a shutdown suspends the issuance of Social Security cards.
Will Medicare and Medicaid benefits be affected?
Current Medicare, Medicaid, and disability insurance beneficiaries will continue to receive their benefits for at least three months. If the government shutdown lasts longer than three months, beneficiaries may see impacts to receiving their earned benefits.
Will my mail still arrive?
Yes. The U.S. Postal Service is not affected by a federal government shutdown.
Will air travel be affected?
Air traffic controllers, Transportation Security Administration (TSA) officers, and Customs and Border Protection (CBP) agents will remain on the job without pay.
Should the shutdown continue for a longer period of time, travelers could experience longer wait times at airports and flight delays due to staffing shortages.
What is the impact on veterans’ services?
All VA medical facilities and clinics will remain fully operational. However, VA call centers and hotlines will be closed. Veterans Benefits Administration public contact services are also not available.
During the 2013 16-day shutdown, many veterans lost access to vocational rehabilitation and education counseling services.
What is the impact on U.S. military personnel?
All active-duty troops are required to still report for duty but paychecks will be delayed until the shutdown ends.
Not all civilian defense workers will be required to work during a shutdown. Some might be furloughed, while others may be considered ‘essential’. Check with your supervisor for specifics.
Military personnel access to on-base health care may be impacted. Critical medical and dental care are exempted from shutdown order, but other elective procedures might be cancelled or postponed. Depends on medical situation. Please check with your provider.
Private sector health care under Tricare will not be affected by a shutdown, and specialty medical care for wounded warriors would continue. However, office hours could be cut due to shutdown-related staffing issued.
On-base childcare will be open on a case-by-case basis. Check with your facility for more information.
What is the impact on federal law enforcement?
Federal law enforcement will also be required to work without pay for the duration of a shutdown.
What is the impact on food safety activities?
The Food and Drug Administration, which oversees food safety, will be shutdown.
The 2013 16-day shutdown sharply curtailed critical FDA food safety inspections of domestic and international food facilities.
What is the impact on federal housing loans?
The Federal Housing Administration stops approving applications for housing loans.
During the 16-day shutdown of 2013, the FHA delayed processing over 500 applications for loans to develop, rehabilitate, or refinance around 80,000 units of multifamily rental housing.
How will this affect small businesses?
A federal government shutdown halts federal loans to small businesses.
During a shutdown, the Small Business Administration (SBA) stops approving applications for small businesses to obtain loans and loan guarantees, typically $1 billion per month.
During the 16-day shutdown in 2013, the SBA was unable to process about 700 applications for small business loans.
Will I still be able to visit the national parks and monuments?
Open-air sites will remain open to the public. Buildings that require staffing, such as visitor centers, will be closed.
During the 2018 shutdown, many parks and open-air monuments remained accessible, though no visitor services were provided, and indoor facilities were closed.
How will the shutdown affect FEMA natural disaster clean-up efforts?
All FEMA-funded natural disaster recovery work stops during a federal government shutdown. FEMA staff would still respond to emergencies, but without funding, FEMA would not be able to continue long-term projects.
What is the impact on state and local services?
The federal government shutdown does not immediately affect any state or local services.
However, with federal funding cut off, some state or local governments may have to change their operations. Check with state and local agencies for specific questions.
Which federal employees keep working during a government shutdown?
When there is a government shutdown, federal agencies are required to classify their employees as either “essential” or “non-essential.” The employees classified as “essential” continue to work during the shutdown. Employees classified as “non-essential” are put on unpaid furlough.
In the 16-day 2013 shutdown, about 800,000 of the 2.1 million civilian federal employees in the executive branch were classified as “non-essential” and furloughed.
Do furloughed federal employees get back pay?
Yes.
The Government Employee Fair Treatment Act of 2019 guarantees back pay to furloughed and excepted federal workers impacted by any lapse in federal appropriations, all federal employees will receive back pay.