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Things You Can and Can't Do During a Government Shutdown

Here's what can and cannot happen during your next episode of Government Shutdown 2: Electric Boogaloo.

By Iggy PaulsenPublished 6 years ago 5 min read
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Recently, the United States had endured a several days-long government shutdown caused by a stalemate in Congress over DACA, CHIP, and other crucial aspects of legislation and budget creation. This has been a disaster for our already-strained budget since a government shutdown actually costs money.

People were confused as to what can happen and what was unable to be done during this time—along with many other details about what a shutdown entailed. Currently, it's looking like we are headed towards another shutdown in the next month.

Wondering what this means for you and your life? Wondering if politicians were lying about what happens during a shutdown? You're not alone.

Here's what you need to know about our government's functioning during moments where a government shutdown is declared...

First things first, most major government functions will continue to happen during a government shutdown.

Just because the federal government is shutting down doesn't mean that you can expect anarchy in the streets. Police will still be expected to go to work, and so will firemen. Politicians, too, will be expected to show up for work. Mail also will continue to be delivered.

With the military, service members will still be fighting wars and protecting the country. In most cases, they will have no-interest loans that will allow them to continue to get paid during the holdover. So while they don't get paid, they still have financial responsibility.

However, some branches of government may see a lot of belt-tightening—like the IRS.

Worried about being unable to file taxes during a government shutdown? Don't be. Though the IRS will have its staff pared down during a shutdown, they will not completely close.

It'll be a very bare-bones workforce that will be mostly working to handle major tax issues and criminal investigations. Tax returns during a government shutdown, however, will probably be delayed.

Social security will continue to pay out as normal.

Perhaps those who have the most reason to worry during a shutdown are those who receive social security benefits. If this sounds like you, good news is up ahead.

If we have a second government shutdown due to President Donald Trump being unable to handle working with Congress as Senate passes another bill, don't worry. Social security will continue to pay out as normal, which means that your regular household spending bills will not make you go broke.

You might also still be able to visit national museums.

A lot of national museums, including the Smithsonian and the National Zoo, were open during the Trump Shutdown. This is because they had leftover funding that allowed them make sure that they would be able to survive the government shutdown.

That being said, if a second one happens, it's not 100 percent certain that these museums will stay open. Don't worry, though—we're pretty sure the National Zoo will continue to keep the animals fed.

National parks and monuments will be a hit-or-miss deal.

One of the worst times to be a tourist in the United States is during a government shutdown, primarily because it means that all national parks will have their funding stopped immediately. This, in turn, means that most national parks will be closed.

During the first Trump Shutdown, this meant that world famous landmarks like Ellis Island and the Statue of Liberty were closed. That's a bigger hit to our tourism industry than Trump's travel ban!

Each national park will be handling a government shutdown their own way. Many will close. Others will remain open, but will have no staff since their employees are not paid due to being federal employees.

During a shutdown, plan a vacation to the national parks at your own risk.

If you're a member of the armed forces, you can still use VA hospitals.

It will continue to be business as usual at Veteran Affairs hospitals, thankfully. On a somewhat-related note, regular hospitals will also continue to run.

Most government-backed programs involving healthcare and health insurance will still remain intact during a government shutdown. So, you won't have to worry about dying due to a shutdown.

You can't, however, get Military Death Benefits during a government shutdown.

Shutdowns affect the public in ways that many people do not expect to ever have happen—and everyone gets affected differently. Though most military benefits tend to be continued or funded through military-based sources, one of the more tragic cuts made are military death benefits.

For the grieving, this can be an insult to injury. The good news is that it's only temporary. When the shutdown ends, military death benefits that were supposed to be sent out will be sent out.

Most federal workers will be on furlough.

If you're a federal employee, a government shutdown means that you will not go to work. It sounds like a vacation, but the fact is that it also means that you will not get paid. Once the shutdown wraps up, employees will be expected to go back to work.

Depending on how long the shutdown, this could be financially devastating for families that rely on their federal jobs to stay afloat.

Alarmingly, the CDC will end up struggling to keep diseases under control.

Because the Center for Disease Control is a federal department, they will end up getting affected by the government shutdown as well. This will mean less ability to monitor disease outbreaks and also work to prevent disease.

Last shutdown, the annual influenza program closed. This means no more flu shots during the next shutdown, and no new clinical trials during times when the shutdown will be in place.

If this doesn't sound too bad, think again. A quick scan of the history of deadly diseases suggests we're putting ourselves at risk of another 1918 flu outbreak.

Overall, a government shutdown means that everyone should tighten their belts a bit.

A lot of the things we take for granted will not be available to us during a shutdown. It's not certain how long a shutdown will last, but if you're concerned, having a little savings set aside can make for an easier time.

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About the Creator

Iggy Paulsen

Iggy Paulsen is a fan of anything and everything wholesome. He loves his two dogs, hiking in the woods, traveling to Aruba, building DIY projects that better humanity, and listening to motivational speakers. He hopes to eventually become a motivational speaker himself.

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