Camas resident Anna Miller shares information about the impacts of a government shutdown
Editor’s note: Opinions expressed in this letter to the editor are those of the author alone and may not reflect the editorial position of ClarkCountyToday.com
Henny Penny may have panicked, but we can keep a cool head, not jump to conclusions or let fear drive the narrative, especially when it comes to a government shutdown. Most essential services continue, and while they’re disruptive, it’s not the end of the world.
Essential Workers Who Continue Working
These employees are considered “excepted” or “essential” because their roles protect life, property, or national security. They must work without pay until funding resumes:
Public Safety & National Security
- Active-duty military personnel
- Federal law enforcement agents (e.g., FBI, DEA, Secret Service)
- Border Patrol and Customs officers
- Transportation Security Administration (TSA) agents
- Air traffic controllers
- Federal prison staff
- Emergency response teams (e.g., FEMA, Coast Guard)
Health & Medical Services
- Doctors and nurses at federal hospitals
- Veterans Affairs medical center staff
Government Operations
- Presidential staff and executive office personnel
- Members of Congress (continue receiving pay)
- Supreme Court justices and federal judges
- Essential staff at federal courts (if funds are available)
Other Critical Services
- U.S. Postal Service employees (USPS is self-funded)
- Immigration enforcement officers (ICE, DHS)
- Essential NASA mission staff
Benefits That Continue During a Shutdown
These programs are funded through mandatory spending and do not rely on annual appropriations:
Guaranteed to Continue
- Social Security (retirement, disability, survivor benefits)
- Medicare and Medicaid
- Veterans’ disability and retirement benefits
- Federal employee health, dental, and vision insurance coverage
- Unemployment benefits for furloughed federal workers (may need to be repaid after back pay is issued)
May Be Affected Over Time
- SNAP (food stamps) and WIC (Women, Infants, and Children): Continue initially but may run out of funding during extended shutdowns
- Customer service and administrative support for Social Security, Medicare, and VA may be delayed due to furloughs
Pay and Back Pay for Federal Employees
- Essential workers work without pay during the shutdown but are guaranteed back pay once funding resumes.
- Furloughed workers (non-essential) also receive back pay under the Government Employee Fair Treatment Act of 2019.
- Federal contractors are not guaranteed back pay.
Agencies That Partially or Fully Shut Down
These agencies pause most activities and furlough non-essential staff:
Department of the Interior
- National Park Service: Parks may close or operate with minimal staff (no trash pickup, closed restrooms)
- Bureau of Land Management: Permitting and public services pause
Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)
- Most inspections, permitting, and enforcement actions stop
Internal Revenue Service (IRS)
- Taxpayer services like audits, call centers, and processing paper returns are suspended
National Institutes of Health (NIH)
- Clinical trials may continue, but new trials and grant processing are paused
Department of Education
- Grant processing and support services slow down or stop
Department of Labor
- Workplace safety inspections and labor dispute resolutions are delayed
NASA
- Non-essential research and public outreach are paused; mission-critical operations continue
Federal Courts
- Courts remain open temporarily using reserve funds, but may scale back if the shutdown is prolonged
Anna Miller
Camas
Also read:
- Opinion: Washington is bleeding taxpayers and now a State Representative wants to make it worse
Mark Harmsworth argues that a proposed statewide payroll tax would worsen Washington’s ongoing loss of jobs, businesses, and economic competitiveness. - Opinion: Simultaneous left turns
Doug Dahl explains how Washington law directs drivers to make simultaneous left turns by passing to the left of each other in an intersection. - Opinion: WEA secret meeting about opposing the initiatives gets leakedAn opinion from Let’s Go Washington criticizes a leaked Washington Education Association meeting about opposing LGW’s initiatives on girls’ sports and school transparency.
- Opinion: Kitchen table advocacy – Influence the legislature from homeNancy Churchill encourages citizens to influence the Washington State Legislature from home by focusing on committees, building small advocacy teams, and engaging positively with legislators.
- Opinion: When elected officials raise your property taxes, don’t blame the assessorPaul Guppy explains that property tax increases are set by elected officials, not assessors, and urges holding the right officials accountable to restore fiscal sanity.
