About the Government Shutdown
Please know that I will work to restore funding for the federal government, so that the residents of California’s 41st Congressional District will continue to receive the benefits and services they have paid for. In addition, my offices in Riverside and Washington, DC, will remain open during regular business hours, continuing to provide the best service possible to my constituents.
Below, you can find information about the effects of a temporary government shutdown. I will update this page as new information becomes available. Please keep in mind that information may change as agencies adapt to operations under a lapse of funding.
Social Security
The Social Security Administration will continue to distribute Social Security benefits to seniors and people with disabilities. However, a lapse in funding could result in delays in processing new claims and Social Security cards, change of address requests, and other customer service requests.
Medicare
Medicare claims are paid from Medicare trust funds, and will continue to be processed during a shutdown. However, the lapse in funding will stop the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services from issuing Medicare replacement cards and may slow down the application process for new enrollees.
Veterans Benefits
The processing and payment of veterans’ education and health benefits, disability compensation, and pension claims, will not be affected. All VA medical facilities and clinics will remain open and operational. However, VA call centers and hotlines – excluding the Veterans Crisis Line – will cease function, no decisions on claims appeals will be issued, and VetSuccess on Campus will be suspended.
Unemployment Benefits
Federal unemployment benefits will continue to be dispersed to the California Employment Development Department (EDD). Unemployed workers will continue to receive benefits, and people who have exhausted their current benefit tier will progress to the next tier. For more information, please contact the EDD at http://www.edd.ca.gov/.
United States Postal Service
U.S. Postal Service will continue to operate during a government shutdown, because the Postal Service receives no tax dollars for operating expenses, and relies on the sale of postage, products and services to fund its operations. All retail offices will remain open and delivery will not be affected. The Postal Service will continue to accept passport applications, although there may be a delay in processing them from the State Department. For more information about the Postal Service, you may want to visit http://www.usps.com/.
Military Pay
The US military will continue to prosecute the wars in Afghanistan, Iraq, and Syria including operations deemed necessary for national security. All other activities will be shut down. Active duty personnel will continue on a normal duty status and will not be paid until Congress appropriates their funding. Reserve component will only continue to perform Active Guard Reserve duty for the period of their assigned tours. Effectively, active duty and reserve components will only go without pay if the shutdown runs through February 1, 2018. National Guard duties will be terminated unless excepted for national security purposes. Civilian employees and contractors will also continue their duties without pay if they are deemed necessary by the Secretary.
Federal Employees and Retirees
Under a government shutdown all non-essential federal employees are placed on unpaid leave, also known as a furlough. However, essential employees that perform emergency work involving the safety of human life, the protection of property, or other exempted work, must continue to report to their job. Essential employees will not be paid unless Congress appropriates money for back pay after government funding is restored.
Each federal agency will determine which employees will be furloughed, and which must continue to report to work. Furloughs are expected to impact the services that agencies provide to the public. For more details please visit the Office of Personnel Management’s website at http://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/pay-leave/furlough-guidance/.
Federal retirees who receive benefits through the Federal Employee Retirement System (FERS) or the Civil Service Retirement System (CSRS) will continue to get their checks. The Office of Personnel Management will stop processing paperwork for new retirees. However, as long as the employee submitted some notice of their desire to retire, when the lapse in appropriations ends, OPM will make the effective date reflective of date requested.
Temporary Assistance for Needy Families
The Temporary Assistance for Needy Families Program (TANF) is funded through FY18, including the Contingency Fund. TANF should not see a lapse in federal funding. However, if funding were to lapse, states may use state funds, emergency contingency funds, or leftover TANF funding from previous years to help continue TANF benefits during a shutdown. For more information visit, please visit http://www.cdss.ca.gov/calworks/.
The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, Child Nutrition Programs (school lunch), and the Women, Infants and Children Nutrition Program
The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), the Child Nutrition Programs (CNP), and the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants and Children (WIC) will continue to the extent that funds are available to support those programs. State agencies and other grantees may utilize legally available federal resources previously provided to them or their own resources. Additionally, Food and Nutrition Services’ disaster authorities under the Food and Nutrition Act of 2008 and the Stafford Act would continue, however, funding may not be available for execution.
Passports and Visas
The Postal Service will continue to accept passport applications, and the State Department will continue to process passport applications visa requests as long as funding and the collection of fees allows. However, if a passport agency is located in a government building affected by the shutdown, the office may be closed. This could result in delayed processing times and create a backlog that lasts even after funding is restored.
Museums and Parks
The National Park Service and National Wildlife Refuge Systems will keep many memorials, open-air parks, and other public lands accessible to visitors, but will limit or prohibit access at selected sites. This includes federal lands in California, Washington, DC, and across the country. The Smithsonian Institution’s museums, the National Gallery of Art, and the National Zoo will remain open on Saturday and Sunday, January 20-21, but will be closed to the publicbeginning Monday, January 22. Public tours of the U.S. Capitol Building will be suspended. The Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts will remain open for scheduled performances, but will halt public tours of the building.
If you have tours scheduled through my office in Washington, DC, please contact my Tour Coordinator, Matt Ceja, at (202) 225-2305 for more information.
Additional Resources
For additional guidance from the federal government please click here for a full list of contingency plans from all federal agencies. If you need further assistance please call my Washington, DC, Office at (202) 225-2305 or my Riverside Office at (951) 222-0203.