The federal government is hours away from turning off the lights, but your mail will still arrive Thursday morning and TSA agents will still be checking bags at the airport.
Why It Matters: A shutdown affects some government services immediately while others keep running. Knowing which is which helps you plan understand what’s actually at stake.
What’s Happening: If Congress doesn’t pass a funding bill by 12:01 a.m. Wednesday, hundreds of thousands of federal workers will be furloughed and many government operations will pause. It’s happened 14 times since 1981, most recently during the last Trump presidency in 2018-2019 for 35 days.
What Stays Open: Essential services keep running, though many workers won’t get paid until the shutdown ends. That includes TSA screeners, air traffic controllers, Border Patrol agents, federal law enforcement, active-duty military, hospital staff at VA medical centers, and Social Security and Medicare processing. The Postal Service operates independently and won’t be affected. Weather forecasts continue since the National Weather Service is considered essential.
What Closes: National parks typically close or operate with skeleton crews—gates may stay open but bathrooms and visitor centers lock up. The Smithsonian museums and National Zoo shut their doors. Passport processing stops for new applications.
Federal courts can operate for about two weeks on existing funds, then things get complicated. The IRS stops processing paper tax returns and won’t answer help line calls, though refunds for already-filed returns still go out. Nutrition assistance programs like WIC run out of money within days, though SNAP benefits continue short-term.
Between the Lines: “Essential” is a legal designation, not a value judgment. It means the work is tied to protecting life and property. Essential employees still show up, they just don’t get paychecks until Congress acts. Many eventually receive back pay, but contractors and support staff often don’t.
The Big Picture: Shutdowns cost money even though they’re supposed to save it. The Congressional Budget Office estimated the 2018-2019 shutdown cost the economy $11 billion, with $3 billion never recovered. Federal workers missed paychecks during the holidays, food safety inspections slowed, and tax refunds were delayed for millions of Americans waiting on that money to pay bills.
