Government Shutdown, What to Expect

It is Tuesday, October 1, 2013 and Congress has not been able to reach a compromise on a funding bill that could get the government running again.  One of the major stumbling blocks is the long-running dispute regarding President Obama’s health care reform law (commonly referred to as Obamacare).  The House would like Obamacare to be delayed for one year as part of their deal.

The question remains, what will transpire during a shutdown.  A JDSupra article covers the 27 things you can expect to happen when the government shuts down, which was gathered from a host of different sources.  The 27 items to expect are:

  1. Passports and visas will only be processed in “life or death” situations.

  2. All national parks will close (campers currently in parks will be given two days to leave).

  3. Border controls to come into the US will take significantly longer.

  4. Social security checks will be sent out.

  5. Mortgage approvals will be delayed.

  6. Implementation of the Affordable Care Act will continue as planned.

  7. Some ports into the US will close.

  8. E-Verify, the Dept of Homeland Security’s online employment eligibility verification database, will cease operations.

  9. Medicare and Medicaid payments will continue (though likely at a slower pace).

  10. FTC approval of merger requests will slow.

  11. The SEC will be open and operational.

  12. The US Patent and Trade Office will remain open for business.

  13. Most NASA employees would be sent home (but not the six crewmembers on the International Space Station).

  14. The Farm Service Agency will stop processing loan applications.

  15. The Small Business Administration will shut down nearly all of its loan programs.

  16. President Obama will keep working (and will keep drawing his salary).

  17. The US Postal Service will continue to deliver mail.

  18. Most food safety inspections will continue.

  19. The government will continue to pay unemployment benefits.

  20. Federal courts will stay open (for about ten days, anyway).

  21. As many as 1 million federal employees could be furloughed.

  22. The EPA would effectively shut down.

  23. The Supreme Court would probably stay open (but they’re not saying).

  24. Active-duty troops will keep working, and should receive paychecks through the middle of October.

  25. Air traffic controllers – and the country’s air travel industry – will not be affected.

  26. The IRS will continue to collect taxes but all audits will be suspended.

  27. And last but not least: Taxpayers will get a very big bill.”

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