Government shutdown: Impacts on Brevard would grow if stalemate drags on

The federal government plays a huge role in Brevard County: As a direct employer of thousands of local military and space workers, a billion dollar purchaser of goods and services from local defense contractors and the source of Medicare and Social Security dollars.

So what will happen here on the Space Coast if Congress doesn't reach a budget deal and the federal government shuts down as of Sunday?

A lot depends on how long any shutdown would last, with a shutdown of day or two probably having little effect. A shutdown that drags on long enough so that federal employees miss a paycheck could have bigger impacts on families trying to pay their bills.

The good news is that Social Security and Medicare would not be affected since those programs are paid for out of separate trust funds that are not part the regular budget process.

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But a government shutdown would mean millions of federal employees would be furloughed. Others, such as active-duty military members and Transportation Safety Administration officers, would be forced to work without pay.

All federal workers received back pay after previous shutdowns.

The United States Postal Service will not be affected by a government shutdown. The Postal Service doesn’t rely on taxpayer dollars because it generally gets its funding through the sales of products and services.

Space impacts unknown

A big question remains on how a shutdown would impact space launches from the Kennedy Space Center and Cape Canaveral Space Force Station, as even commercial launches require some support from the federal government.

“If House Republicans force a shutdown, it will have devastating consequences for NASA, families across the country, and America’s global competitiveness," NASA Administrator Bill Nelson said in a statement released Friday.

“We are deciding what actions are needed in the event of a congressional Republican-led government shutdown," Nelson said. "NASA will maintain the people to protect life and property – operational missions, such as satellites, landers, and rovers, as well as the International Space Station and its crew.”

The most recent guidance released by NASA in a 2019 document stated that “while most employees will be furloughed, Centers have identified employees who will be required to work during the furlough.”

In accordance with the Government Employee Fair Treatment Act of 2019, when the possible lapse in government funding ends, all NASA employees will be paid for the time they are affected by a shutdown furlough.

Discretion about who and what gets exempt from the furlough is determined by NASA’s center directors and executive committees. NASA’s exemption plan includes individuals who could be deemed necessary for:

• Space launch hardware processing activities that are necessary to prevent harm to life or property.

• Tracking, operation, and support of the International Space Station (ISS) and operating satellites necessary for the safety and protection of life and property.

• Completion or phasedown of research activities in cases where serious damage to property would result from temporary suspension of the activity.

One mission that may be at risk of facing disruption is NASA’s Psyche, but the agency declined to comment on how or if the mission could be impacted.

NASA’s Psyche spacecraft, designed to study a metal-rich asteroid in deep space, is tentatively slated to launch Oct. 12 from pad 39A at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center aboard a triple-core SpaceX Falcon Heavy rocket. If needed, alternative launch dates are available daily through Oct. 25. If the interplanetary mission destined for the asteroid belt between Mars and Jupiter misses its October launch window, it’s likely that NASA will have to wait until late next year for another chance to fly.

As of Friday morning, the Space Force wasn't able to provide and information on how a shutdown would impact its mission in Brevard.

The Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex, which is privately operated, will remain open.

Limited travel impacts at first

The nation’s air-travel system is expected to operate relatively normally during a shutdown. Air traffic controllers and TSA screeners are deemed essential workers — however, those people won’t be paid until the shutdown ends, and TSA lines could grow longer if many screeners stay home.

Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg said Wednesday that air travel will remain safe in a shutdown, but that the training of new air traffic controllers will stop and 1,000 trainees will be furloughed.

Port Canaveral officials say they do not expect the potential government shutdown to have any impact on port cruise or cargo operations.

As essential government employees, the U.S. Coast Guard and U.S. Customs and Protection staff would remain on the job.

Additionally, the Canaveral Lock connecting the Banana River and the Atlantic Ocean via the port's channel would continue operating. The Canaveral Lock is owned and operated by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.

The port said an ongoing Army Corps of Engineers dredging project at the port also would not be affected, either.

Other impacts

A handful of federal programs that people nationwide rely on everyday could also be disrupted — from dwindling funds for food assistance to potential delays in customer service for recipients of Medicare and Social Security. The ripple effects would come down to how long the shutdown lasts and varying contingency plans in place at impacted agencies.

Homebuyers planning to close soon may run into problems if they are using mortgage programs from federal agencies such as the Federal Housing Administration or the Department of Veterans Affairs.

"If the government actually shuts down, we will not be able to fund government loans. That's FHA and VA," said Tom Taranto, Realtor with Keller Williams Brevard Team Taranto. "Sometimes they put a provision in place to keep funding on, but we won't know that until last minute."

Parts of the Merritt Island Nation Wildlife that are normally closed each evening, such as the visitors center, will remain closed. Areas not normally closed at night, such as the Black Point Wildlife Drive, will remain open.

Most National Parks will be closed during a shutdown. The National Park Service hasn't released any information about the Canaveral National Seashore, but in past shutdowns it was closed to the public.

This article originally appeared on Florida Today: Government shutdown: Impacts on Brevard would grow if stalemate drags on