How a government shutdown would impact thousands in Oklahoma

Thousands of federal workers in Oklahoma could be furloughed if Congress does not approve legislation to keep the government operating past Saturday, though Social Security recipients and veterans would continue to receive their benefits.

If the shutdown persists, civilian workers and soldiers will miss paychecks, including 21,000 active-duty military troops at the state’s four major bases and ammunition plant.

The government provides back pay to employees after a shutdown, but the 35-day shutdown in late 2018 and early 2019 created hardships for people who lost two paychecks. More than 700 federal workers in Oklahoma filed for unemployment benefits to get them through, even though they had to pay it back once they received their back pay.

If the government shuts down next week, Social Security checks still will go out, and veterans pensions and other benefits won’t be curtailed, but many federal offices, parks and museums could close.

The Senate on Tuesday advanced a stopgap measure that would fund the government through Nov. 17 at current levels and provide funding for Ukraine and disaster relief. Both of Oklahoma’s senators voted to advance that measure. However, a group of House Republicans, including freshman Oklahoma Rep. Josh Brecheen, of Coalgate, want a stopgap measure that cuts funding, includes border security provisions and doesn’t provide money for Ukraine.

Republicans have a slim majority, and just a few defections can prevent passage of legislation that Democrats oppose. If no compromise is reached, the government would enter a partial shutdown on Sunday.

Here is a look at how a potential shutdown could be felt in Oklahoma:

How will defense employees in Oklahoma be affected?

Active-duty military personnel must keep working without pay, while most of the civilian workforce will be furloughed.

At Tinker Air Force Base, more than 25,000 civilians and active-duty military serve a variety of missions, with the biggest tenant being the massive aircraft repair depot.

Ten years ago, Rep. Tom Cole, R-Moore, whose district includes Tinker, tried unsuccessfully to shield about 14,000 civilian workers at Tinker and many other bases from furloughs because they were paid through a working capital fund, not with appropriated funds.

There are also Air Force bases in Altus and Enid, both of which focus on pilot training, and a U.S. Army post near Lawton, Fort Sill, which is one of the premier artillery training sites in the world.

In McAlester, about 1,600 civilians work at the McAlester Army Ammunition Plant. Two other tenants at the plant employ about 100 people each.

U.S. Rep. Frank Lucas, an Oklahoma Republican, recalled recently that, during the shutdown of 2018 and 2019, a military spouse, whose husband was deployed, asked her in-laws to send bus fare for her and a young child because military personnel weren’t being paid and she couldn’t pay rent.

“It’s not just the service members not getting their paychecks who are affected here — it is their families,” John Kirby, with the National Security Council, said on a White House press call on Tuesday.

When they don’t get paychecks, he said, “electric bills, water bills, rent, mortgage, grocery bills — all that stacks up to the detriment of these great men and women.”

On most bases, commissaries would be closed, according to the Defense Department, though health care facilities would remain open.

How will TSA/FEMA employees in Oklahoma be affected?

Oklahoma has 240 transportation security screeners, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. They are required to keep working during a shutdown, though they won’t get paid if the shutdown lasts long enough.

The Transportation Security Administration has a total of 60,951 employees and expects to require most of them to work during the shutdown, according to guidance issued this week by the Department of Homeland Security.

The Federal Emergency Management Agency has nearly 23,000 employees and plans to keep more than 19,000 on the job during a shutdown.

How will Federal Aviation Administration employees be affected?

In the shutdown of late 2018 and early 2019, hundreds of students at the air traffic controller school at the Mike Monroney Aeronautical Center in Oklahoma City found themselves without pay and without their rent covered by the federal agency. One apartment complex allowed about 75 to skip their rent payments during the shutdown.

Air traffic controllers are required to keep working, but the academy is not among the operations that stays open.

In the shutdown four years ago, about 1,150 employees at the Monroney Center were furloughed, and nearly 600 others had to work without pay.

The nation already is short of air traffic controllers, and agency officials have warned that any disruptions will further slow training.

According to the White House, more than 13,000 air traffic controllers nationally and 50,000 Transportation Security Officers — in addition to thousands of other Federal Aviation Administration and Transportation Security Administration personnel— “would have to show up to do their critical jobs without getting paid until funding becomes available.

“In previous shutdowns, this led to significant delays and longer wait times for travelers at airports across the country.”

How will criminal justice in Oklahoma be affected?

Since the U.S. Supreme Court case in McGirt v. Oklahoma in 2020 led to most of eastern Oklahoma being deemed tribal reservation land, the federal government has assumed criminal jurisdiction in cases involving Native Americans. And the FBI office in Oklahoma City has become one of the busiest in the nation.

According to Justice Department guidance issued recently, the FBI “must be able to continue existing investigations, open new investigations, and respond to all contingencies which might arise during a lapse of appropriations. Accordingly, all FBI agents and support personnel in the field are considered excepted from furlough.”

U.S. attorneys are not subject to furlough and criminal litigation “will continue without interruption as an excepted activity to maintain the safety of human life and the protection of property.

“Civil litigation will be curtailed or postponed to the extent this can be done without compromising to a significant degree the safety of human life or the protection of property.”

How will Social Security be affected?

Social Security checks will go out.

“We will continue activities critical to our direct-service operations and those needed to ensure accurate and timely payment of benefits,” an official with the Social Security Administration told the White House budget office in a recent letter.

About 85% of the administration’s workforce will keep working for the first week of any shutdown. After that, more might be furloughed, but there would still be no interruption in benefit checks.

How will Oklahoma veterans be affected?

Most benefits for veterans would continue.

At a press conference last week, Denis McDonough, secretary of the Veterans Affairs Department, said, “In the case of a shutdown, there would be no impact on veteran health care. Burials would continue at VA national cemeteries. VA would continue to process and deliver benefits to veterans, including compensation, pension, education, and housing benefits. And the board would continue to process appeals.

“However, we would not be able to conduct outreach to veterans. Our public-facing regional offices would be closed, and many regular operations like career counseling, transition assistance, and cemetery grounds maintenance would not be available.”

Oklahoma WIC program will continue if government shuts down

Oklahoma recipients of the Women Infants and Children Program received notice via text message that the program will "continue as usual" if the federal government shuts down.

However, the dollar amount of fruits and vegetables allotted will change for benefits starting in October. Recipients are encouraged to check their balance before shopping.

Nearly 73,000 Oklahomans receive the nutrition education and supplemental food aid.

The WIC program is administered through the Agriculture Department, which also oversees other nutrition programs and farm programs. Many may be affected, including the food stamp program, known as SNAP, if a shutdown lasts more than a few days, according to the department.

This article originally appeared on Oklahoman: Thousands would be furloughed in Oklahoma if government shuts down