Guide to a government shutdown

Posted at 11:42 AM on April 5, 2011 by Bob Collins (11 Comments)

The government is making plans for a government shutdown if negotiations on a federal budget for the last six months of the fiscal year don't lead to a settlement. President Obama met this morning at the White House with House Speaker John Boehner,R-Ohio, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev., and the chairmen of the House and Senate Appropriations Committees. No deal was reached.

What happens if the government shuts down? The Office of Management and Budget already has the plans, it's just not revealing what they are. But based on previous shutdowns, here are the likely answers to questions about it:

Q: Will I get my Social Security payment?

A: Yes. But there is some dispute over how many Social Security workers would stay on the job. Some say the Social Security Administration is not part of an appropriation, so its workers wouldn't be affected, but the Office of Management and Budget is commenting on this so we don't know what would happen, say, if you wanted to apply for disability payments via Social Security. But that's a process that can drag on for a year or more, anyway.

Q: What is the most obvious effect of the shutdown?

A: Plan on seeing TV news footage of families who've been saving up for a vacation in Washington, turned away from a locked Smithsonian or Washington Monument. Or any other government-run museum or attraction, including the national parks. In Minnesota, this would obviously include Voyageurs.

For people who operate restaurants and businesses in areas where there are lots of federal workers, the shutdown will likely cost them dearly.

It would be a bad time for one of those salmonella outbreaks or mysterious illnesses to occur. The Centers for Disease Control will stop tracking them during a shutdown. But Team Diarrhea would still be on the case. Heck, they do a lot of the work, anyway.

Q: Would the VA facilities close?

A: No. Medical employees who provide inpatient and emergency care are considered essential. But outpatient treatment would likely be curtailed.

Q: Would federal courts close?

A: Bad news, white-collar criminals. They stay open.

Q: Would it be safe to fly?

A: Air traffic controllers are considered essential so there would be no disruption in ATC activities. Metal fatigue in aging aircraft, however, don't know when the government is operating and when it isn't.

Q: If the Red River flooding requires federal aid and response, will residents get it?

A: Yes. Disaster response is not affected in a shutdown.

Q: Will I still have to pay taxes by April 18?

A: Yes, but you may have to wait longer to get a refund.

Q: If the government shuts down, who will bring me my daily supply of credit card offers?

A: No problem. The mail will still be delivered.

Q: What are some less obvious effects of the shutdown?

A: From the Boston Globe: "(In the 1995 shutdown) ...the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention stopped tracking the spread of diseases such as AIDS and the flu; toxic waste removal at 609 sites was suspended. Work on more than 3,500 bankruptcy cases ceased, and investigations into delinquent child support cases were put on hold."

Q: What if I need a visa or passport?

A: In 1995, 20,000-30,000 foreign visa applications per day went unprocessed, as did an estimated total of 200,000 U.S. passport applications, according to PBS.

Q: I work for the federal government. Will I have to go to work?

A: From Federal Computer Week: There are two types of shutdowns. In a "soft shutdown," federal employees would come to work but could not do anything "productive," that is, anything to carry out the central duties of the agency. They could clean up their desks.

A "hard shutdown" would mean employees are furloughed from work. Only those few exempt employee would come in.

The soft shutdown would only occur if the president believes there's a chance for a rapid compromise with Congress. Hard shutdowns would signal a bleaker picture.

Q: How many federal workers would be furloughed?

A: In the last shutdown -- 1995 -- about 800,000 government workers were furloughed. Back then, there were 2,920,000 federal employees, excluding the military. Now, there are 2,839,000 federal employees, excluding uniformed military.

Q: Will I be paid during the furlough?

A: In the last shutdown, workers were paid retroactively. So the government doesn't save on salaries during a shutdown. However, people who work under contract with the federal government would not likely be paid. At all.

There is a growing chorus, however, that is saying government workers shouldn't be paid if they're not going to work. That will probably be the first debate that will get all the attention after the shutdown crisis itself is solved.

Q: What if I want to work unpaid?

A: You can't. Federal law prohibits the government from accepting volunteer work.

Q: Will soldiers be paid?

A: A Pentagon spokesman said today the Department of Defense has not yet decided. It's a safe bet, however, that even Washington understands the public relations nightmare that comes with not giving a soldier at war his check.

Q: How long will it last?

A: If history is any guide, a few days. The longest shutdown lasted less about three weeks.

Q: How much will the government save during the shutdown.

A: Nothing. Current estimates, which some consider low, suggest it could cost the government $100 million a day.

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Comments (11)

Under less obvious effects you have "investigations into delinquent child support cases were put on hold." Which is really interesting since State and local government employees do this work. My guess is that the databases they need to locate people, at least the federal ones, are shut down.

I'm particularly interested in the SSA group. Sounds like no one is sure if they will report to work. Do no general funds go to SSA? Just FICA?

Posted by Kassie | April 5, 2011 1:09 PM

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You have to remember that many people in state governments and in private industry get federal funding. If the government shuts down, hundreds of thousands more who don't work for the feds directly will be furloughed, and they won't get retroactive payments. This shutdown would impact a lot more people than you realize and have major ripple effects on the economy with all of the people who no longer have an income spending money, not to mention the tourism impact on those cancelling flights and hotels when they can no longer get into national parks, etc. Even a few days of shutdown could be financially disastrous for a lot of people. Call your congresspeople and urge them to come to an agreement!

Posted by Maggie | April 5, 2011 6:22 PM

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Regarding Social Security, and disability benefits in particular, a government shut down would have a hugely detrimental effect on the SSA's ability to process claims and award the severely disabled the payments that they need.

Already, nearly 70% of disability claims are denied, and this is largely because of huge claim backlogs built up due to lack of funding. We recently posted an article on the negative impact of much-speculated entitlement reform on Social Security Disability, and a government shut down would have much the same ill effect for those among us who are most in need of assistance.

Posted by Doug | April 6, 2011 10:32 AM

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Time to take names and prepare for 2012 elections. For me, any member of congress who votes for retro pay for government workers needs to go. It is time the protected elite feel the pain the rest of us have suffered the last couple of years.

Posted by Clifford Hunt | April 6, 2011 11:12 AM

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There's no vote involved. People who work for the government get paid when they are furloughed.

For the record, most of the nation's auto plant workers get paid when they get furloughed, too.

Posted by Bob Collins | April 6, 2011 11:32 AM

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Check your facts Bob. The auto reference is private enterprise. Look at the last government shutdown (1995). Congress had to pass a separate bill for retro pay for furloughed government employees. It is not automatic.........

Posted by Clifford Hunt | April 6, 2011 11:39 AM

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For the record,government workers do not get paid unless they have their own vacation time reserved for it. That is a fact. As a nurse providing outpatient services, I will not be going to work either.

Posted by teresa | April 7, 2011 8:40 AM

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i knew with all those newly elected nothing would get done,and its happening now,they want to cut so many trillions of dollars from the budget.but why do they always want to cut from things that help the poor,the elderly, and the disabled,the middle class,and military.they keep saying they doing what the american people want are they really?NO. I was never polled about it,and no I do not agree with any of the newly elected r,s things and never will.they strongly disagree with everything that is not the way they want it period!! and if they dont work then they should not get paid then who would they blame?

Posted by joy | April 7, 2011 4:30 PM

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Not all "government workers" are part of the "protected elite". Most are not. I agree that our legislators should not get paid...they are the ones causing the prospective shutdown.

I am not a federal employee, but a state employee...a teacher. Due to the economy (and in part due to major cuts in federal assistance to states) teachers all over the country have taken furlough days without pay.

Posted by sarajo | April 7, 2011 9:24 PM

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I'm a 100% disable Vietnam vet. Will I get my Va disability check and my Social Security disability check this month and on time?

Posted by Dennis Mannone Sr | April 8, 2011 6:17 PM

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I hope everybody is happy with are government. Obama nor are elected government officials have done anything to help the american people. I think that's it time to vote for Ron Paul who wants to do away with the government banking and IRS. The IRS is spending more money than what there taking in, anybody with any business sense know that if you have more money going out than what your taking in, you should not be in business. The american people needs to wake up and really look at who they want in government office. Lets get some blue collar people into office who deal with the problems of putting food and a roof over there family heads.

Posted by Pat Patterson | July 28, 2011 7:52 AM

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