Politics & Government

Government Shutdown 2013: Four Things That Won't Change Oct. 1

Mail and Social Security payments untouched, and certain federal employees will stay on the job.

By Beth Lawton

If a federal shutdown arrives Tuesday, the federal government does not stop functioning completely, according to The Washington Post. 

"By law, certain agencies must operate with unsalaried employees," the report notes. "They include those that deal with national security and the safety of people and property.”

The government last shut down due to a budget impasse from Nov. 13 – 19, 1995, and again from Dec. 15, 1995 to Jan. 6, 1996.

Workers at the Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area are already preparing to shutter camping grounds and hiking trails, reports the Los Angeles Times.

Rep. Brad Sherman wrote an editorial for the Los Angeles Daily News on what the shutdown could entail, and what to do if you, as a resident or business owner, have to do when dealing with a federal agency before or after Oct. 1.

What won't change

  1. You will still get your mail from the U.S. Postal Service.
  2. Social Security, Medicare and unemployment insurance payments would continue as scheduled, according to government sources.
  3. Military members, air traffic controllers and border patrol agents would stay on the job, as would essential law enforcement personnel. While active military will stay on the job at home and abroad, non-essential civilian military employees would be placed on furlough.
  4. Members of Congress are considered “essential,” so they would stay on the job and be paid. Most Congressional staffers will be furloughed.
In the 1995 and 1996 shutdowns, many federal employees were paid retroactively for the days they were furloughed. Whether that will happen this year remains to be seen, NPR reported.


Get more local news delivered straight to your inbox. Sign up for free Patch newsletters and alerts.

We’ve removed the ability to reply as we work to make improvements. Learn more here

More from Encino-Tarzana