HELENA — As Congress again failed to reach agreement on a budget deal Tuesday, it appears the federal government is headed for a shutdown. Without a budget agreement by 12:01 a.m., Oct 1 – 10:01 p.m., Sept. 30, Mountain Time – there won’t be money appropriated for a huge range of federal programs.
For most Americans, federal government shutdowns aren’t unfamiliar anymore. There have been three since 2000: for 16 days in October 2013, two days in January 2018 and 35 days in December 2018 and January 2019. The last was the longest shutdown in U.S. history, though it only applied to some agencies.
(Watch the video for more on how some of the federal agencies you interact with could be affected by a shutdown.)
How a shutdown plays out in practice depends on how the administration in power chooses to implement it. The Trump administration has asked every federal agency to put together a plan for how they’ll continue operations during a shutdown. MTN went through many of the plans to get a better idea of what impacts the public could see in Montana.
The administration has called for maintaining federal activities that protect life or property. That means FBI and DEA field agents, and most Border Patrol and Immigration and Customs Enforcement employees will continue their work – though they likely won’t be paid until the government reopens.
Similarly, travelers going through airports shouldn’t see immediate impacts. Most Transportation Security Administration employees and air traffic controllers are considered essential and will keep working.
“Unfortunately, from what I've heard is they don't get paid during that time until the shutdown is over and the issues resolved, but they do come to work,” said Jeff Wadekamper, director of the Helena Regional Airport. “We feel for them and appreciate all those employees still coming to work to make sure that the national air traffic system and the aviation system still functions.”
The National Park Service says park roads, trails and other open-air features will generally remain open to visitors, but most buildings will be closed. The agency will attempt to use money on hand from visitor fees to continue basic services like sanitation, trash collection and campgrounds. Of more than 14,000 employees, more than 9,000 could be furloughed.
This would be similar to how the Trump administration managed national parks during the 2018-19 shutdown. During the 2013 shutdown, most parks were instead fully closed.
The U.S. Forest Service would maintain more than half of its 32,000 employees during a shutdown. The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s plan says it would continue responding to wildfires and working on timber projects – citing President Trump’s executive order calling for increasing timber harvesting. USDA says some fuels reduction work, including prescribed burning, would be reduced, as would public access to recreation sites.
Military members will remain on duty, though again their pay could be delayed. National Guard serving on Active Guard Reserve will remain in those positions, but some other Guard orders may be canceled.
The Montana VA Health Care System told MTN they’re not expecting any immediate changes in their ability to serve veterans. The Social Security Administration says it’s planning to continue sending out benefits as usual, and the Department of Health and Human Services says Medicare and Medicaid will also continue during a shutdown.
If you’re wondering about a possible impact on your mail, the U.S. Postal Service is actually an independent organization that doesn’t run directly on federal funding, so it will stay open too.
