A government shutdown could affect Indiana housing programs, national parks

Brittany Carloni, Indianapolis Star
Updated ·3 min read
2

Update Feb. 28, 2024: IndyStar is republishing this story first posted in 2023 as another set of government shutdown deadlines approaches.

Congress is again approaching another federal government shutdown deadline, which could impact access to pay and services for people across Indiana.

A partial shutdown would start at midnight Saturday, March 2 if lawmakers do not reach new agreements to keep the government funded before then. Government funding related to energy and water; military construction; transportation, housing and urban development; and agriculture expire on March 1, according to USA Today.

A second shutdown deadline is next Friday, March 8, which would result in a full shutdown.

It's at least the fourth time since September that Congress has been up against shutdown deadlines, but lawmakers have approved members to extend deadlines and keep agencies operating.

The previous government shutdown was a partial one, but it lasted for 34 days: from December 2018 through late January 2019. Some federal offices in Indiana closed and some federal employees were furloughed and left without paychecks.

2018-2019: Here's what happened in Indiana during the last government shutdown

Federal agencies provide the Office of Management and Budget with contingency plans for how they will handle shutdowns.

Here is what could be impacted in Indiana during a government shutdown. This story will be updated as more information becomes available.

Speaker of the House Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif., stops for reporters' questions about passing a funding bill and avoiding a government shutdown, at the Capitol in Washington, Monday, Sept. 18, 2023. McCarthy is trying to win support from right-wing Republicans by including spending cuts and conservative proposals for border security and immigration.
Speaker of the House Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif., stops for reporters' questions about passing a funding bill and avoiding a government shutdown, at the Capitol in Washington, Monday, Sept. 18, 2023. McCarthy is trying to win support from right-wing Republicans by including spending cuts and conservative proposals for border security and immigration.

What might be impacted?

National parks: Ahead of the potential government shutdown in September, the National Park Service said it would close the majority of national parks and leave visitors with limited resources, as thousands of park rangers were expected to be furloughed. But ahead of the deadline, Indiana Dunes National Park tourism staff said the visitor center at the park is owned by Porter County government and will remain open. The Indiana Dunes State Park, which is not operated by the federal government, would also remain open during a shutdown.

Housing: Some Housing and Urban Development programs, such as housing vouchers, could run out of money during a government shutdown but will continue until then, according to the department’s 2023 contingency plan. Almost all of HUD’s fair housing programs will stop operations, the plan states.

Medicare cards: Medicare benefits will continue, but you won’t be able to get Medicare replacement cards during a shutdown, according to the Social Security Agency’s 2023 contingency plan.

Airport travel: It’s not exactly clear what might happen to travel in Indiana during a shutdown. TSA agents during the 2018-19 shutdown were considered essential, meaning they worked without paychecks. Although some TSA employees across the country participated in “sickouts,” there was little impact on the Indianapolis airport, IndyStar reported in 2019.

Travelers wait to go through security at the Indianapolis International Airport, Tuesday, Jan. 15, 2019.
Travelers wait to go through security at the Indianapolis International Airport, Tuesday, Jan. 15, 2019.

What should not be impacted?

If a shutdown does occur, only essential federal government services are supposed to continue, such as public safety and law enforcement. Here are a few other agencies we know will keep operations going:

U.S. Postal Service: You can still head to the post office during a government shutdown. The U.S. Postal Service does not depend on Congress for money, so it is not impacted by any lapses, according to the agency’s 2021 contingency plan.

Social Security: You will still receive Social Security benefits and be able to get original and replacement Social Security cards during a shutdown, according to the agency’s 2023 shutdown plan.

Passports and visas: As long as funding is still available, the State Department’s 2023 contingency plan states that it will continue issuing passports and visas during a shutdown.

Contact IndyStar's state government and politics reporter Brittany Carloni at brittany.carloni@indystar.com or 317-779-4468. Follow her on Twitter/X @CarloniBrittany.

This article originally appeared on Indianapolis Star: Government shutdown could affect various Indiana government services