How a federal government shutdown could impact California
The nation faces the prospect of a federal government shutdown if Congress doesn’t approve a proposal to keep the government funded by Friday at midnight.
As of Friday afternoon, the House had passed a bipartisan bill to avert a shutdown and the funding bill was headed to the Senate where it was expected to pass.
Should funding lapse, some of the impacts of federal agencies shutting down would begin soon. Others would become more apparent the longer a shutdown lasts. Each federal agency determines its own plan for how to handle a shutdown.
Expect the closure or reduced access to national parks, monuments and museums in California. Here is a list of National Parks in the state.
"In the event of a government shutdown, access and visitor services will continue through Sun. Dec. 22. On Mon. Dec. 23, parks would generally close and services may be unavailable," the National Parks Service's website said.
NBC News reported that hundreds of thousands of government workers could be furloughed across the country, meaning they temporarily stop going to work and aren’t paid.
Others would be required to work without pay with the expectation that they would be paid back once the government reopens, The Associated Press reported.
Among those who would be required to work are those in the national security field or who perform essential activities that “protect life and property,” according to the AP.
For example, Transportation Security Administration agents would be required to work and keep airport checkpoints staffed. But during a previous shutdown, many TSA agents called out sick, Axios reported. If something similar happens again, it could lead to big delays during holiday travel.
The TSA sent KCRA 3 a statement warning of possible longer waits at airports if there is an "extended shutdown."
“At the Transportation Security Administration, part of the Department of Homeland Security, 59,000 of the agency’s 62,000+ employees are considered essential and would continue working without pay in the event of a shutdown," TSA said. "We expect to screen 40 million people over the holidays and through January 2. While our personnel have prepared to handle high volumes of travelers and ensure the security of our transportation systems, an extended shutdown could mean longer wait times at airports.”
About 187,679 federal workers in California would be furloughed or forced to work without pay during a total government shutdown, according to a fact sheet prepared by former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and the Democratic staff of the House Committee on the Budget.
This could have ripple impacts for businesses that rely on government contracts.
Here are more impacts in California, according to the fact sheet.
Armed Forces: 216,176 active-duty and reserve personnel would be forced to work without pay.
Small Business Loans: The Small Business Administration would stop processing loans. The program provides more than $4.4 billion in funding to California each year.
Food Assistance: During a prolonged shutdown, about 972,418 people in California would lose access to the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) benefits. And about 5.1 million Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) beneficiaries would lose access to benefits.
KCRA 3 reached out to state officials to learn more about when this might occur.
The California Department of Public Health said if the federal government were to shut down California's WIC program would remain open.
"The program currently has enough federal funds to continue to pay for food and services," a spokesperson said.
FDA Inspections: Food safety, pharmaceutical manufacturing and other inspections would be sidelined.
Farm Loans: The Department of Agriculture would stop processing farm loans, which provide more than $77 million to farmers each year.
How a shutdown could impact the University of California
Another impact could be federal research partnerships. The University of California said its workers can expect challenges with staffing disruptions at federal agencies. That could impact new grants, reimbursements and collaborative projects that require access to federal facilities. Learn more here.
Are federal workers eligible for unemployment benefits in California?
California’s Employment Development Department (EDD) says federal workers “out of work through no fault of your own” may qualify. They can file for the benefits as soon as they are no longer working.
If the worker gets paid back once the shutdown ends, the worker will have to repay the unemployment benefits. Learn more here.
Would the post office close during a shutdown?
No. The U.S. Postal Service is an independent agency and not affected by the shutdown. Mail service would continue.
Federal courts could be affected during a longer shutdown
KCRA 3 reached out to the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of California in Sacramento to see how the court could be impacted.
Clerk Keith Holland said the Judiciary would not shut down and employees would return to work as normal on Monday, Dec. 23. The court should be able to pay its workers for at least three weeks.
"Under such a lapse in appropriations scenario, the Judiciary would be able to sustain paid operations through the use of fee balances and no-year appropriations for at least three weeks, or through January 10, 2025," Holland said. "After January 10, or whenever Judiciary funds are exhausted, we will continue to report to work and perform our essential duties."
--KCRA 3's Anahita Jafary and Maricela De La Cruz contributed to this story.
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