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Frequently Asked Questions

At midnight on Saturday, December 21st, federal funding lapsed and the federal government entered a full government shutdown.

My colleagues in Congress and I are working hard to pass a Continuing Resolution to reopen the government and provide funding to federal agencies through March 14th, 2025. As we navigate the challenges of this difficult moment, my team and I want you to have the most up-to-date information on what services will and will not be available during the 2024 government shutdown. Many federal agencies will be forced to furlough staff, which will slow response times. In some cases, agencies may be forced to suspend their services altogether. Please note a government shutdown will also impact my office’s ability to assist constituents.  

Please find relevant information about a variety of government agencies and services below. We will do our best to keep this page current as more information becomes available.

The following information is up-to-date as of 12/20/2024

Frequently Asked Questions

What is a Government Shutdown?

Many federal government agencies and programs rely on annual funding appropriations passed by Congress. Every year, Congress must pass and the President must sign budget legislation for the next fiscal year, consisting of 12 appropriations bills. When Congress fails to pass these bills by the end of the federal fiscal year on September 30, federal agencies are required to suspend all non-essential operations, or “shut down,” until new funding legislation is passed and signed into law. Many essential services will continue to function, as will mandatory spending programs.

What services are affected in a shutdown?

Each federal agency develops its own shutdown plan, following guidance released during previous shutdowns and coordinated by the Office of Management and Budget (OMB). Each plan identifies which government activities may not continue until appropriations are restored, requiring furloughs and the halting of many agency activities. Essential services – many of which are related to public safety – continue to operate, and are subsequently paid for when appropriations are enacted.

In prior shutdowns, border protection, in-hospital medical care, air traffic control, law enforcement, and power grid maintenance have been among the services classified as essential, as have some legislative and judicial staff. Mandatory spending not subject to annual appropriations, such as for Social Security, Medicare, and Medicaid, also continues. Other examples of activities that continue are those funded by user fees that are not subject to the appropriations process, such as immigration services funded by visa fees. Certain programs that are funded through advance appropriations, such as those within the Veterans Health Administration, have been minimally affected during recent shutdowns.

Will Senator Murphy's office be open?

Due to the shutdown, our offices in both D.C. and Hartford will be closed to the public. You will still be able to call our office, although responses may be delayed. Mail will not be answered until after the shutdown ends. Staff will not be able to arrange Capitol tours or fulfill flag requests. You may still submit new casework requests on our website, but please note that our constituent services representatives will have a reduced ability to assist you, as many federal agencies will be closed during the shutdown. 

Click here to submit a casework request.

You can reach our D.C. office at (202) 224-4041.

You can reach our Hartford office at (860) 549-8463.

How will this affect me?

  • Social Security: Social Security checks will continue to be dispersed during a government shutdown because they are classified as mandatory spending. Limited available staff will work to ensure the Social Security Administration’s field offices will remain open as well in order to assist with applications for benefits, requests for appeals and issuance of original or replacement Social Security cards.
  • Medicare/Medicaid: Because Medicare and Medicaid are also mandatory spending programs, beneficiaries will continue to receive their benefits. You may experience delays in Medicare card replacement and benefit verification, as many staff will be furloughed. Hospitals and medical providers might experience delays in receiving payment from Medicare.
  • 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. The USDA will only be allowed to send out SNAP benefits to recipients for 30 days after the beginning of a shutdown. If the shutdown persists further, SNAP benefits will run out. In addition, during any shutdown, stores are not able to renew their Electronic Benefit Transfer (EBT) card licenses, so those whose licenses expire will not be able to accept SNAP benefits during a shutdown. The Connecticut Food Bank and Food Pantries have locations throughout the state and can offer assistance during a shutdown.
  • Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF): The TANF program is a grant given to each state to run its welfare program. As such, access to TANF benefits will vary state by state during a shutdown and funds may run out unless states fund the programs as part of their own budget process.
  • Air Travel: Transportation Security Administration (TSA) agents and air traffic controllers are deemed “essential” in the event of a shutdown but will be required to work without pay. This caused a strain on air travel during the 2018-2019 shutdown, with travelers facing longer lines, delays, and canceled flights as security checkpoints were closed while some TSA agents and air traffic controllers began calling out of work while not getting paid. It is possible that air travel will be similarly impacted during the current shutdown so please monitor the situation if you’re planning to fly. This has the potential to be particularly disruptive with TSA estimating it will screen 39 million travelers during the holiday season between December 19 and January 2.
  • Passports: Scheduled passport and visa services in the United States and the US Embassies and Consulates overseas will continue during a government shutdown. However, passport services administered in buildings run by temporarily shuttered agencies will likely be suspended.
  • Military and National Security: 1.3 million active-duty troops, along with more than 185,000 Department of Homeland Security employees and 350,000 Department of Defense civilian employees, will continue working every day to keep our country safe but they will not receive their paycheck during a shutdown. This will strain household budgets for the men and women tasked with keeping our country safe, hurting long-term retention and recruitment efforts. Some vital security operations will be disrupted, and servicemembers could see their access to medical care, child care, and some on-base facilities limited.
  • The Coast Guard Academy: All service academies have special status to continue certain operations. Faculty who are career military and civilian staff members who have been deemed mission critical will continue teaching throughout a government shutdown. Some civilian staff members will be furloughed, causing interruptions for some classes, extracurriculars, sports, and certain school services. During the 2018-2019 shutdown, 160 civilian employees at the Academy were furloughed, causing class sizes to increase. During that period, cadets did not receive the bimonthly stipend payments they often rely upon.
  • Veterans Benefits: Veterans will still be able to access medical care and burials will continue at Veterans Affairs (VA) national cemeteries. VA will also continue to process and deliver benefits to veterans, including compensation, pension, education, and housing benefits, and the Board will continue to process appeals. The CT Veterans Benefits Administration has funds to cover operating costs for a brief shutdown and will continue to be open to the public, but when those funds run out, the CT regional office may close and pause important services including outreach to veterans, career counseling, transition assistance, and cemetery grounds maintenance.
  • Housing: The Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) will continue to make payments under Section 8 and Project Rental Assistance Contracts (PRAC) at least through December 2024. Other services such as Section 8 waivers and a wide variety of housing loans from HUD and USDA will not be issued during a government shutdown. For more information on rental assistance in Public Housing Authorities, please contact your local authority. You can find a list of Connecticut Public Housing Authorities and their websites here.
  • Disaster Relief: The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) will continue the policy of immediate needs funding (INF), meaning that payments from the Disaster Relief Fund (DRF) for non-emergency work will be delayed until sufficient funds are available. Once carryover balances are exhausted, there will be a stoppage of Individual Assistance payments to disaster survivors. The intermittent workforce supporting specific disasters will be furloughed, causing delays to disaster recovery. The National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) and its partners will not be allowed to issue new contracts for flood insurance for the duration of a government shutdown.
  • Small Business Administration (SBA): The U.S. Small Business Administration will not accept, review, or approve any new business loans for the duration of a government shutdown. SBA’s disaster funding account is prohibitively low for the agency to offer any new loans to small business owners or homeowners. With that said, SBA is still accepting and reviewing disaster loan applications to restart operations when it receives additional funding. The CR proposed earlier this week would have provided $2.249 billion in supplemental funding for the program.
  • Internal Revenue Service (IRS): The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) is expected to furlough more than half of its workforce in the event of a government shutdown. Taxpayers remain obligated to fulfill their tax obligations, and services like tax return processing should carry on unaffected. Delays in income and Social Security verification may persist leading to increased wait times for mortgage and other loan approvals. If the shutdown continues into January, the IRS will add back a portion of its workforce to prepare for the upcoming tax filing season.
  • Health and Human Services: The National Institutes of Health (NIH) will be prevented from admitting new patients or processing grant applications, and critical research on diseases like cancer and Alzheimer’s will be stalled. New patients who are waiting for a chance at new treatment through a clinical trial will be turned away. Technical assistance to state and local health departments will not be continued by CDC, and responses to public inquiries about public health matters will be suspended, as well.
  • National Parks: National Park Service (NPS) sites will be closed, meaning that the majority of national parks will not be accessible to the public. Areas that are physically accessible to the public will face significantly reduced visitor services. At NPS sites across the country, gates will be locked, visitor centers will be closed, and thousands of park rangers will be furloughed. Accordingly, the public will be encouraged not to visit sites during the period of lapse in appropriations out of consideration for protection of natural and cultural resources, as well as visitor safety.
  • Environmental and Food Inspection: Most EPA-led inspections at hazardous waste sites as well as drinking water and chemical facilities will stop. EPA will halt oversight and review of permits and plans to ensure safe water and clean air in communities. Additionally, efforts to address dangerous contaminants like PFAS—which are linked to severe health effects, including cancer—will be delayed, and cleanup activities at Superfund sites would slow or cease. Food-safety inspections by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) could be delayed.
  • Student Loans: Federal Student Aid (FSA) programs, such as the Pell Grant and the Direct Loan program, will not be impacted. While loan servicers will be able to continue to process payments regularly, there could be delays for those who need to consult with or seek help from the Education Department due to the potential of agency furloughs. The furloughs may also result in disruptions to processing FAFSA applications, disbursing Pell Grants, and other functions.
  • Postal Services: United States Postal Service (USPS) services will not be impacted by a government shutdown. USPS is funded through sales and services. Post Offices will remain open and you will be able to continue to send and receive mail while the federal government is shut down.