Will it close? How a federal government shutdown could affect life in South Florida

Will the federal government shut down on Sunday? And if it does, will we feel the effects in South Florida?

Congress needs to reach a budget deal by the Oct. 1 deadline to avoid things grinding to a halt.

A shutdown would mean many federal workers out of work indefinitely, and those who must work will do so without pay. It also would mean the closing of federal parks and some offices.

It also means that certain services will be unavailable or affected, although all operations deemed “essential” will continue without the employees performing those jobs receiving paychecks.

Here’s what to know:

National Parks in South Florida

Everglades, Biscayne National, Dry Tortugas: The Department of Interior said in a statement Friday that in the event of a shutdown, national parks, including Biscayne National Park, Everglades National Park and Dry Tortugas National Park, will be closed to the public.

Statement: At National Park Service sites across the country, “gates will be locked, visitor centers will be closed, and thousands of park rangers will be furloughed,” the Interior Department said on its website. “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.”

Emergencies: Although parks will be closed, some Park Service employees will be working, even without a paycheck. Those include those in law enforcement, emergency response and fire suppression roles, according to the statement.

Air travel in Miami and Broward

TSA and Customs at the airports: The agencies that process people and cargo at Miami International Airport, Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport and other airports nationwide will continue working, but their employees will not receive a paycheck, said Miami International Airport spokesman Greg Chin. These agencies include the Transportation Security Administration, U.S. Customs and Border Protection and the Federal Aviation Administration, which employs air traffic controllers, Chin said.

Other federal agencies

Homeland Security: The TSA and Customs and Border Protection, which have major presences in South Florida, are among the several agencies under the umbrella of the Department of Homeland Security. Others include the Coast Guard, Immigration and Customs Enforcement and the Federal Emergency Management Administration. Most of the employees who work for Homeland Security are deemed essential, meaning nearly three quarters of the department’s workforce will be serving without pay until the shutdown ends, according to a DHS fact sheet provided to the Miami Herald.

Federal courts

Southern District: South Florida federal courthouses in Miami, Fort Lauderdale and West Palm Beach will continue “fully operational,” a spokesperson for the Southern District for Florida said in an email.

Weather and hurricane forecasting

It’s still hurricane season in South Florida. And Jonathan Rizzo, warning coordination meteorologist with the National Weather Service Key West, said federal forecasters will still be on the job if the shutdown proceeds. “In the event of a partial government shutdown, [the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s] National Weather Service will continue to provide weather, water, and climate observations, prediction, forecasting, warning, and related support. There will also be no interruption in National Weather Service forecasts and life-saving warnings, including on operational websites such as weather.gov and our agency’s social media platforms,” Rizzon told the Miami Herald in an email Friday.

Social Security

Benefits: Florida’s many Social Security recipients would continue to receive their benefits even if a shutdown happens, according to The Associated Press. But if Social Security Administration employees are furloughed, Floridians who need to verify benefits or get a new Social Security card may have trouble. More than one in five Florida residents receives Social Security benefits, or nearly five million people, according to AARP.

Medicaid and Medicare: Medicare is also generally not affected during government shutdowns because it is a “mandatory” spending program, so Congress does not need to act to keep the program running. The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services have funding to fund Medicaid through the first quarter of the 2024 fiscal year, according to NPR.

Veterans: Healthcare for veterans, including at the hospital in Miami, will continue because the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs receives advance appropriations specifically to protect the department from being affected by political fights over spending, according to Military.com. In 2022, the department got $150 billion to fund veterans’ services, including health treatments, through 2024. Veterans’ pensions would continue during a shutdown as well.

Food help for low-income residents

SNAP: A federal government shutdown could affect access to food and nutrition assistance programs geared toward low-income residents, including seniors, people with disabilities and mothers. The White House highlighted concerns about the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children, saying a government shutdown could affect nearly 421,300 women and young children in Florida using the program. The White House said a federal contingency fund for the program would likely dry up after just a few days, leaving it up to states to fund the program.

A spokesperson for the Florida Department of Health did not address what would happen to the program’s recipients in the case of a shutdown, but said “the Department is monitoring Congressional proceedings and will act accordingly should the federal government shut down.”

Floridians who receive benefits from the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, once known as food stamps, will likely be able to continue getting assistance as usual through October, according to U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack.

Thomas Mantz, president and CEO of Feeding Tampa Bay, said his organization is there to support people who need additional support, like in the case of a government shutdown.

“Our organization provided food and services to ensure our neighbors were able to manage through the disruption the previous government shutdown caused and we can be counted on to respond in the same way if necessary,” Mantz said.

School nutrition programs: School lunches for children could also be affected in the case of a long shutdown. The U.S. Department of Agriculture said it could continue funding school meals in October and potentially for months after that, but not for the full year without appropriations.

Florida National Guard and emergency assistance

Hurricane and prison response: The Florida National Guard has begun planning for a shutdown, said William Manley, the deputy communications director for the Guard. Manley, in an email, said that the Florida National Guard still stands ready to respond at any time, including in the case of a shutdown. Some of the Florida Guard’s missions, including hurricane response and assisting at Florida prisons because of staffing shortages, are funded by the state, Manley said. “Additionally, even if the federal government shuts down, specific functions are considered ‘excepted’ and allowed to continue, including activities to save lives and protect property,” Manley said.

Flood insurance programs

Home closings: In the case of a shutdown, the National Flood Insurance Program wouldn’t be able to operate, preventing buyers from securing flood insurance, according to NBC News. That could delay or almost entirely stop home closings in flood-prone areas, Jim Tobin, the leader of the National Association of Home Builders, told NBC.

New policies: Flood insurance is required in areas that have significant flood risk, and new policies would not be able to be issued during a shutdown. Existing flood insurance policies would continue, and the Federal Emergency Management Agency will continue to pay out claims until funding runs out or until a shutdown is resolved, according to NBC. Florida leads the nation in flood insurance policies, and as of earlier this year, flood insurance is required for homeowners covered by Citizens Insurance, the state’s insurer of last resort.

The mail

Delivery: U.S. Postal Service employees will continue to deliver the mail even if there is a government shutdown. According to the agency’s shutdown plan, they do “not cease operations during any Federal lapse in appropriations.” The service is funded through the sale of postage, not taxpayer dollars appropriated by Congress, according to the Washington Post, insulating them from the shutdown. That means the employees who do work during the shutdown will continue to receive paychecks.