A government shutdown is on the horizon, which might exacerbate Americans’ economic troubles.
The government will run out of funds on September 30 unless Congress acts with stopgap legislation to keep everything running. But, with Republicans in disarray in the House, it is unlikely to happen by the weekend deadline.
What will happen to Social Security payments if the government shuts down?
While the duration of a federal government shutdown determines its severity, Americans may soon begin to feel the effects of a funding lapse. Thousands of government employees would be furloughed on the first day of the shutdown, leaving personnel severely limited in managing a variety of services on which millions of Americans rely.
If the government shuts down, Social Security payments will continue to be made — but don’t expect assistance if you need a new card or are struggling with overpayment difficulties. According to the agency’s contingency plan, 8,500 staff will be furloughed in the event of a shutdown, with 53,000 exempt.
Nancy Altman, president of the advocacy group Social Security Works, told CNN that a shutdown might cause more delays in various client services as employees quit rather than sacrifice compensation.
SNAP, also known as food stamps, would continue for at least the month of October if there is a government shutdown
A shutdown, on the other hand, may make it more difficult for Americans to get food stamps. The Biden administration cautioned that a shutdown might result in low-income mothers and children losing access to the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children, or WIC. According to the White House, without extra financing, over 7 million moms and children may lose their help if states are compelled to create waiting lists.
In a briefing, Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack stated that SNAP, also known as food stamps, would continue for at least the month of October if there is a government shutdown.
“If the shutdown were to extend longer than that, there would be some serious consequences to SNAP,” Vilsack said. For WIC, the impacts will be more immediate and dire: Vilsack said that USDA has a contingency fund that could keep the program afloat for “a day or two.”
“The vast majority of WIC participants would see an immediate reduction and elimination of those benefits, which means the nutrition assistance that’s provided would not be available,” he added.
The Office of Management and Budget has directed all federal agencies to create contingency plans in the event of a shutdown, and it appears that those plans may soon be put into action. With only a few days left until the end of the month, politicians are still scrambling to find a solution that would get enough votes to keep the government-financed. Senators Chuck Schumer and Mitch McConnell have allegedly discussed introducing a bipartisan short-term continuing resolution to prevent a government shutdown.
Biden administration continues to blame House Republicans for pushing the US to the brink of another government shutdown
Even if the Senate agrees on the bill, House Republicans remain divided. On Tuesday, House Speaker Kevin McCarthy told Punchbowl News that he would not engage in “hypotheticals” on a clean Senate spending bill. Conservative members have also advocated attaching substantial budget cuts to a government funding package, as well as harsher border policies – all of which are exceedingly unlikely to pass in the Senate. According to Jeff Stein of the Washington Post, the GOP’s cuts would prevent one million mothers and children from receiving food aid.
McCarthy told reporters on Tuesday that he would welcome a meeting with Biden in order to avoid a government shutdown.
“I think it would be very important to have a meeting with the president to solve that issue.”
Still, the Biden administration continues to blame House Republicans for pushing the US to the brink of another government shutdown.
Biden said in a video posted on X, formerly Twitter, that “in just about a week, we could be facing a government shutdown if Republicans in the House of Representatives don’t do their job.”
“I’m prepared to do my part, but the Republicans in the House of Representatives refuse,” Biden said. “They refuse to stand up to the extremists in their party, so now everyone in America could be forced to pay the price.”