Government shutdown: What it means for you
A government shutdown has begun, and while a few days of lost work may not be much of a hardship for most federal workers, the longer this goes on, the worse the impact will be on ordinary Americans. Here are some of the ways this might play out:
Air traffic controllers and other airport workers will begin missing paychecks, which could cause flight delays. Food pantries and other hunger relief organizations will report an increase in the number of people seeking help. National parks will lose revenue, which will ripple through the local economy and hit businesses that rely on tourist visitors. Federal contractors will begin to experience contract delays, missed payments and even cancellations that will have serious impacts on their families and employees.
Women and children who rely on federal benefits such as Head Start, SNAP and WIC are at risk of losing access to these essential resources if the shutdown continues for too long.
There are two main ways this can end — either the Trump administration agrees to extend the health insurance subsidies that Democrats are fighting for, or the shutdown becomes so disruptive that both parties cave in to get the government back up and running. We hope that happens sooner rather than later. In the meantime, we encourage you to contact your financial institution and let them know about the situation so that they can work with you to postpone payment due dates until the shutdown ends.