Policymakers have until midnight on Tuesday, Sept. 30, to avoid a lapse in government funding. If President Donald Trump and congressional Republicans and Democrats cannot agree on a government funding bill by the deadline of Wednesday, Oct. 1, the government will partially shut down.
President Trump and congressional leaders from both parties met at the White House on Monday, Sept. 29, in an effort to reach an agreement, but didn’t.
Republicans control both chambers of Congress, but a temporary measure keeping the government open would require at least 60 votes in the 100-seat Senate, meaning some Democratic votes are needed.
The Republicans in the House of Representatives attempted to pass a short-term funding bill on Sept. 19 to fund the government through Nov. 21. But the bill fell short in the Senate, where 60 votes are required to avert a Democratic filibuster. As the deadline quickly approaches, both sides are digging in their heels, pinning the looming possible shutdown on their counterparts across the political aisle.
While the shutdown looms, many are wondering which government-funded services, including things like mail delivery, will be paused and which will continue service.
Here’s what to know about how the USPS is (or isn’t) affected by shutdowns, as well as a list of services that will and won’t be impacted if the government shuts down this week.
Government shutdown update: Trump, Democrats emerge from Monday meeting without a deal
Is the USPS affected by a government shutdown?
Mail carriers deliver post in snow, rain, extreme heat … and government shutdowns.
The U.S. Postal Service would not be affected because it does not depend on Congressional funding.
What agencies are affected by a government shutdown? See list of services
Here are a few government-funded services and efforts, and whether they would shut down or not:
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Not Social Security and Medicare: Social Security benefits continue without interruption; Medicare benefits may experience delays due to the shutdown.
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Environmental and Food Inspection: Inspections would be halted. During the 2018-2019 shutdown, the FDA reinstated some food inspections a few weeks into the funding lapse for high-risk products.
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Not Veterans Benefits: Veterans continue to receive benefits and medical care without disruption.
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Internal Revenue Service (IRS): In the event of a shutdown, the IRS, which verifies income and Social Security numbers, would not be able to perform this service.
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Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP): Though funding for the SNAP program is mandatory, the ability to send out “food stamp” benefits could be affected by a shutdown.
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Not Military: Active-duty military personnel stay on the job, though about half of Pentagon civilian employees may face furloughs.
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Health and Human Services: The National Institutes of Health (NIH) would be prevented from admitting new patients or processing grant applications.
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Not National Nuclear Security Administration: The agency remains operational.
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Not Law Enforcement: Federal law enforcement agencies, including the FBI, DEA, and prison staff, remain operational; the Secret Service and Coast Guard continue their duties.
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National Parks: National parks and monuments are closed; rangers are furloughed, and facilities are shut down, although some states may temporarily fund operations.
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Not Borders and Homeland Security: Border Patrol and immigration enforcement agents remain on duty; local governments will not receive new aid for migrant shelters.
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Transportation: Airport security screeners and air traffic controllers stay on duty; new hires and significant infrastructure projects may face delays; absenteeism may impact airport operations.
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Not Congressional Pay: Lawmakers continue receiving pay; staffers are furloughed, but essential personnel continue to work.
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White House: Most of the White House staff is furloughed; however, essential offices, such as the National Security Council, continue to operate; the president’s salary remains unaffected.
Why is the government shutting down? Will there be a 2025 government shutdown?
The federal government will run out of money at the end of the fiscal year, which ends at 12:01 a.m. on Wednesday, Oct. 1. At the time of this article’s publishing, there are less than 24 hours left to reach a deal.
If congressional leaders can overcome their differences on how funds should be allocated before the deadline, there will be no shutdown. If an agreement isn’t reached by that time, the federal government will partially shut down until an agreement is reached. Federal agencies will discontinue all non-essential discretionary functions until new funding legislation is passed and signed into law.
The main argument is over cuts to healthcare programs that GOP leaders want to impose. This includes cuts to health programs that benefit millions of Americans, like Medicaid and lapsing Obamacare premium subsidies.
What happens to federal employees when the government shuts down? Do you still work during a government shutdown?
Federal agencies classify workers as either “essential” or “nonessential.”
Essential workers continue to work, although they may not receive immediate payment. Nonessential workers are furloughed, meaning they are unable to work or receive pay until the government reopens. Failure to pass a funding bill would likely lead to furloughs for thousands of federal workers and a reduction in federal services.
During the most recent and longest government shutdown in the U.S. to date, USA TODAY reported that about 800,000 federal employees went without pay for 35 days.
That shutdown lasted from December 2018 through January 2019 and cost the economy around $3 billion, due to disagreements between the first Trump administration and Congress over funding for a U.S.-Mexico border wall. It closely followed a temporary shutdown in 2018 that lasted only a few hours.
How many federal employees are there in Florida?
According to the Office of Management and Budget’s latest data, as of Sept. 2024 there were 95,167 federal employees in all agencies in Florida, about 1 in 20 of all federal employees nationwide.
In its first months the Trump administration worked to slash federal jobs and freeze federal funding through the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), which resulted in thousands of firings, layoffs and early resignation acceptances. Exact numbers are difficult to determine because some people fired were still on provisionary status and some of Trump’s attempts at workforce reduction have been blocked or reversed by lower courts.
Contributing: C. A. Bridges, USA TODAY NETWORK-Florida
This article originally appeared on Fort Myers News-Press: Government shutdown deadline is looming. Would USPS still operate?
