Washington, DC is on the brink of a shutdown after 21 House Republicans helped vote a measure to fund the government past 11:59 p.m. Saturday.
If he can’t make an immediate deal with Democrats, House Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) will preside over the first federal shutdown since December 2018, when operations were halted over a fight to fund former President Donald Trump’s border wall.
The shutdown lasted 35 days — the longest in four decades after Democrats agreed to $1.3 billion in additional border security — far less than the $5.7 billion the president had requested.
Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) warned his colleagues in the lower house not to shut down the government earlier this month.
“I’ve seen quite a few of them over the years. They never produce policy change and they always lose in Republican politics,” McConnell said.
Here’s a look at what members of Congress and federal workers should expect if the stopgap measure isn’t passed by midnight tomorrow.
Who is working and getting paid in Congress during the shutdown?
Members of Congress will be paid to work in the event of a shutdown, but they must decide which staff members are essential and approved for paid work.
Washington, DC is on the brink of a shutdown after 21 House Republicans helped vote a measure to fund the government past 11:59 p.m. Saturday.Getty Images
McCarthy and other lawmakers have said they would give up their congressional salaries, but White House officials dismissed the move as a stunt.
“Members of Congress have to be paid, according to the constitution,” said White House Office of Management and Budget Director Shalanda Young.
“So, maybe he’ll put it in the sock drawer, I don’t know. But they have to be paid at closing. That’s theater. That’s theater.”
“I’ll tell you, the guy who picks up the trash in my office doesn’t get paid,” Young added.
If he can’t strike an immediate deal with Democrats, House Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) will preside over the first federal shutdown since December 2018.eric1513
“That’s true, and that’s what makes me angry.”
Interns and other workers at congressional buildings will not receive pay or retroactive pay once the shutdown ends.
All congressional tours must also be led by a non-staff legislator.
Who is working and being paid at federal agencies during the shutdown?
Presidential appointees will continue to be paid for their work during the shutdown, while essential and non-essential federal employees, US military service members and White House staff will not receive pay.
Essential federal employees who are considered to be performing “excepted work” will not be furloughed, according to guidance from the Office of Personnel Management, with agency heads determining which employees are essential.
All other agency workers will be laid off.
Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) warned his colleagues in the lower house not to shut down the government earlier this month.jetcityimage
Both “exempt” and terminated employees will receive back pay after distribution resumes.
President Biden’s most senior aide is expected to be designated “essential,” in the event of a shutdown, CNN reported, and will continue to assist the 80-year-old commander in chief.
Will Social Security be paid?
Payments from federal benefit programs. including Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid, will continue to be distributed.
Will SNAP and WIC be affected?
There is a possibility.
The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, which provides food benefits to low-income families and is administered by the Department of Agriculture, has a $6 billion contingency reserve that will be used to provide assistance to households as usual through October.
November SNAP benefits may be disrupted if the shutdown drags on.
“I’ve seen quite a few of them over the years. They never produce policy change and they always lose in Republican politics,” said McConnell.Wolterk
State funds can be used to finance SNAP benefits, but without any guarantee of federal reimbursement.
The Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants and Children, or WIC, also administered by the USDA, has contingency funds that will dry up “just days” after the shutdown, according to the White House.
When the contingency fund runs out, states will be forced to access unspent WIC money to keep the program running.
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Will the national park be closed?
Most will be closed.
The parks depend on Congress and appropriations to pay staff salaries and keep them running and accessible to the public.
Some, such as the National Mall in Washington and Gateway National Park in San Francisco, will remain accessible to the public with reduced services, such as access to clean restrooms.
The governors of Arizona and Utah have pledged to maintain the Grand Canyon, Zion, Arches, Bryce Canyon, Capitol Reef and Canyonlands national parks, using state funds.
The Smithsonian Museum and the National Zoo in Washington will remain open until at least October 7, in the event of a closure, through the use of prior year funds.
What happened to air traffic controllers and the TSA?
Air traffic controllers and Transportation Security Administration (TSA) security officers are considered essential workers and must work through the shutdown without pay.
Air traffic controllers in the process of being trained by the Federal Aviation Administration will be laid off.
The past federal government shutdown, however, has caused “significant delays and longer wait times for travelers,” the White House warned.
Will the Post Office be affected?
US Postal Service operations will not be interrupted in the event of a shutdown and all Post Offices will remain open.
The Postal Service “is generally funded through the sale of our products and services, and not with tax dollars,” the USPS said in a statement.
“The USPS is not an appropriated federal agency, and Mail Operators will still receive paychecks and will still report to work,” the National Postal Mail Operators Union also told members earlier this month.
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Source: thtrangdai.edu.vn/en/
