The government is now in shutdown mode after the Senate voted down a bill that would have kept the federal budget funded through December. It is the 21st shutdown in modern history and the third in Donald Trump’s presidency.
Most current essential services will continue, as will those funded by fees and grants that have already been approved for an ongoing fiscal year. However, services, projects and activities that are not currently funded may close. For example, the National Gallery of Art says that it will remain open as long as it can tap previously appropriated funds but might have to close if the shutdown lingers.
For many federal workers, the impact goes beyond missing a paycheck. Many of them are mission driven and have invested their careers in the work they do, from weather forecasting to GDP statistics to cybersecurity. A shutdown is a gut punch to their morale.
This shutdown comes at a critical moment for Americans, including millions who depend on the Obamacare marketplaces to purchase health insurance. The Congressional Budget Office has warned that the insurance subsidies will run out on November 1.
Other Americans, including some 6.5 million children, rely on WIC and SNAP benefits (previously known as food stamps) to help pay for nutrition and health products. The Agriculture Department has said that the SNAP program will continue through October, but its funding is not secure after November. This means that if the shutdown continues into November, it will be necessary to cut off these vital benefits to families.
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