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WASHINGTON – As the government shutdown entered Day 26 on Sunday, many of the people with the power to solve the funding crisis – the consequences of which are growing more intense for millions of Americans with each passing day – were nowhere in sight in the nation's capital.
President Donald Trump embarked on a six-day international trip just as the weekend began, after many lawmakers had already left town. Members of Congress, are entrenched in disagreements over health care policy, with seemingly no bipartisan agreement on the horizon.
Trump's visit to Asia, where he will swing through Malaysia, Japan and South Korea, has taken him far away from the stalemate at home, preventing him from being a part of any negotiations to reopen the government.
In the meantime, the realities of the shutdown are worsening. Key federal health data is stalled with flu season approaching. The government has warned of a holiday travel meltdown.
In less than a week, funding for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, or SNAP, will start to run out for the more than 40 million low-income people enrolled to receive the benefits. In preparation for that cliff, tribal leaders in Montana have started culling bison herds to feed their community members on one reservation whose population is disproportionately food insecure.
Trump left on Air Force One late Friday night and is expected to return to Washington on Thursday, Oct. 30. He told reporters he didn’t know if lawmakers would be able to resolve the shutdown by the time he's back, though his presence would be needed in the capital to sign any new funding legislation.
National Parks will suffer from shutdown, Republicans warn
House Republicans highlighted that the Trump administration has tried to keep national parks and forests open during the shutdown with reduced staffing, but that the strategy won’t last indefinitely.
Rep. Bruce Westerman, R-Arkansas, chairman of the Natural Resources Committee, thanked thousands of park, forest and fish and wildlife staffers for continuing to work during the shutdown. He contrasted the strategy with the Obama administration's closing of parks during the 2013 shutdown.
“This can’t continue indefinitely,” Westerman told reporters last week. “At some point, the public lands won’t be accessible to the public.”
He warned that litter will pile up, land could suffer for lack of care and families could be met with disappointment if the shutdown lingers. About 28 million people visited national parks in October 2024.
Are flights impacted by the government shutdown?
It's complicated. Transportation Security Administration officers and Federal Aviation Administration air traffic controllers are considered essential employees. So they're required to work during the shutdown, even as they don't receive paychecks.
While delay numbers have been fairly low overall, staffing at some air traffic control facilities have led to issues. Earlier this month, the FAA had to delay flights into Burbank, California, because the tower there was unstaffed for a few hours in the evening.
It's important to note that not all delays during the shutdown are attributable to the funding lapse. Weather is still a major driver of flight delays, regardless of what's happening in Washington.
Still, in previous shutdowns, these essential workers have eventually started to call out from work in increasing numbers, which has led to longer security lines and delays at some airports.
– Zach Wichter and Kathleen Wong
Are VA benefits still going out during the government shutdown?
Yes, VA benefits, including compensation and pension payments, are still going out.
The following VA services are still available and operating as usual despite the shutdown:
- VA Medical Centers, Outpatient Clinics and Vet Centers
- VA benefits, including compensation, pension, education and housing benefits
- Burials at VA national cemeteries, applications for headstones, markers and burial benefits
- The Board of Veterans’ Appeals is continuing decisions on veterans’ cases
- Call Centers:
- VA’s primary call center (1-800-MyVA411) and the Veterans Crisis Line (Dial 988, Press 1)
- The VA Benefit Hotline (1-800-827-1000)
- The National Cemetery Scheduling Office (1-800-535-1117)
- Suicide prevention programs, homelessness services and caregiver support
Do members of Congress get paid during government shutdown?
Lawmakers will continue to receive paychecks during a shutdown under Article I, Section 6 of the U.S. Constitution, which protects Congress' pay.
“The Senators and Representatives shall receive a Compensation for their Services, to be ascertained by Law, and paid out of the Treasury of the United States," the Constitution states.
While members of Congress are expected to receive their paychecks, some lawmakers such as Sen. Andy Kim (D-New Jersey), Rep. Josh Gottheimer (D-New Jersey) and Rep. Kat Cammack (R-Florida), say they will not take compensation during the shutdown.
– Saman Shafiq
Is the DMV impacted by the government shutdown?
No. It's business as usual at Department of Motor Vehicles offices across the country. Like the U.S. Postal Service, the agency's operations are not contingent on Congress passing a funding package.
Motor vehicle departments, which are state-run agencies, are largely funded through state budgets and supplemented by fees charged to drivers.
– Amaris Encinas
When was the longest government shutdown?
The current shutdown is now the second longest in history at 26 days.
The longest shutdown ever lasted 35 days, from December 2018 to January 2019, during Trump’s first term.
That means that if the shutdown continues to Election Day, on Nov. 4, the record will tie. If the current impasse lasts longer, it will take the place as the longest shutdown in history.
Does the government shutdown affect unemployment?
Unemployment compensation is continuing during the shutdown, as it’s administered by state agencies rather than the federal government.
The Unemployment Insurance program is a federal-state jointly financed through federal and state employer payroll taxes, providing temporary cash benefits to eligible workers who are experiencing unemployment.
However, as the shutdown reaches its third week, new applications could see some delays. It generally takes two to three weeks after a claim is filed until applicants receive their first checks, according to the U.S. Department of Labor.
Some government workers impacted by the shutdown may qualify for Unemployment Compensation for Federal Employees (UCFE), which is similar to state-run unemployment benefits.
Will I still receive my Social Security check?
Yes, Social Security payments, including Supplemental Security Income and benefits for retirement, disability and survivors, continue during a government shutdown.
Because Social Security benefit programs are considered mandatory spending by law, they are not impacted by the lapse in funding appropriations. Payments are still distributed on a regular schedule during the shutdown.
Social Security offices are still open during the shutdown, but only some services are available.
Will military retirees get paid during a shutdown?
Yes, military retirees will still be paid because their funding comes from a different source, according to the Military Times.
The Department of Veterans Affairs lobbied Congress to fund the department on a two-year budget cycle that exempts them, according to news site veteran.com.
– Jordan Gerard and Melina Khan
DC-area Marine Corps Marathon still scheduled despite shutdown
The 50th annual Marine Corps Marathon is still scheduled for Sunday morning, according to the event's website and social media accounts.
Despite the ongoing government shutdown, the annual event, one of the world's largest marathons, will continue. The race will run through Virginia and Washington, DC, including past some of the nation's most famous landmarks. Residents and runners can expect road closures throughout the region due to the event, which was set to start just after 7 a.m.
Schumer rips Trump for going abroad amid shutdown
In 2013, when a government shutdown brought Washington grinding to a halt, former President Barack Obama canceled a scheduled trip to Asia. Faced with a nearly identical conundrum this week, Trump still decided to travel to the same region.
Congressional Democrats have been eagerly drawing that contrast in recent days, ripping Trump for going abroad amid a crisis at home.
“While Americans are struggling to make ends meet, federal workers are going without pay, and millions of families are bracing for soaring health care costs, the president is leaving the country," said Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer in a statement Friday. "Instead of doing his job, President Trump is abandoning it."
Trump says shutdown donation to Pentagon came from US citizen
Trump said the anonymous donor who has gifted the Pentagon $130 million to help pay military members during the government shutdown is a U.S. citizen.
"He doesn’t want publicity," Trump told reporters on Oct. 24 aboard Air Force One en route to Asia. "He prefer that his name not be mentioned which is pretty unusual in the world I come from and in the world of politics you want your name mentioned."
The Pentagon confirmed the donation on Oct. 24, which marks a dramatic break from the government's process to fund the military via federal dollars appropriated by Congress.
– Darren Samuelsohn
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Government shutdown live updates; latest on military pay and Social Security
Reporting by Zachary Schermele, Joey Garrison and Kathryn Palmer, USA TODAY / USA TODAY
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