Government Shutdown FAQs

The federal government may enter a shutdown beginning at 12:01 a.m. on Wednesday, October 1, 2025, if there is a lapse in federal government funding. These disruptions can harm families, delay services, and create economic uncertainty.

As your member of Congress, I want to ensure you have the information you need regarding any potential government shutdown and how it might affect your everyday life. While a government shutdown creates serious disruptions for working families, federal workers, and our economy, I remain committed in the fight to protect you. Funding essential services, supporting small businesses, lowering costs for working families, and protecting and advancing healthcare are not partisan issues – they are among the core responsibilities each of you have sent me here to accomplish.

In the event of a government shutdown, my DC and district offices will be available to assist you and your family. You can call our district office at (716) 852-3501 or our DC office at (202) 225-3306 with questions and leave a detailed message. For help with constituent services, please call my Buffalo District office.

Why does the government shut down?

The government enters a shutdown when Congress cannot pass annual appropriations bills that fund federal agencies and programs—such as the National Institutes of Health (NIH) or the Supplemental Nutrition and Food Program (SNAP)—before the end of the fiscal year on September 30.

If a new appropriations bill is not enacted by that September 30 deadline, Congress must pass a continuing resolution (CR) to temporarily maintain current funding levels. Without either a new government funding bill or a CR, federal agencies lack the legal authority to spend money, forcing a shutdown.

What services and programs are affected?

A government shutdown, whether partial or full, disrupts many critical services. Each federal agency develops its own shutdown plan that, in the past, was accessible on the Office of Management and Budget’s public website. So far, those plans have not been posted.

For example:

Food and Drug Administration (FDA): Routine food and drug inspections may be delayed, posing public health risks.
National Parks and Museums: Parks may close or stop trash collection, creating unsanitary and unsafe conditions.
Immigration Courts: Hearings may be canceled, worsening backlogs.
Social Programs: Programs like Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) could face funding interruptions in some states.
SNAP and WIC: Some Federal food assistance programs, like the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC), will quickly run out of funding and be unable to provide food for children and parents in need. Families should receive SNAP benefits in October; however, benefits in November could be impacted should the shutdown be prolonged.
Veterans Affairs: Veterans Health Administration (VHA) facilities, including outpatient clinics and Vet Centers, should not be seriously impacted, and almost all employees are expected to remain on the job. VA benefits will continue to be processed; however, VA regional benefits offices will be closed, which may cause delays in the delivery of benefits. Employees performing medical and prosthetic research would be furloughed. VA Call Centers (GI Bill and National Cemetery Applicant Assistance) will be closed. Oversight and direct administration of the National Cemetery Administration’s (NCA) program offices (Veterans Cemetery Grants Program, Engagement and Memorial Innovations, Cemetery Development and Improvement Service, Finance, Legislative and Regulatory Service, etc.) would cease.

What services continue during a shutdown?

Essential services related to national security, public safety, and core government functions remain in operation, including:

Emergency medical care and inpatient services
Air traffic control and transportation safety
Border security and law enforcement
Disaster aid and power grid maintenance

Services not dependent on annual appropriations, such as the U.S. Postal Service, Social Security, and Medicare, continue, though some customer service functions may experience delays.

All services under the U.S. Postal Service should still continue during a government shutdown.
A shutdown should not be expected to impact Social Security benefit payments.
- Please be aware that new benefit verification and card issuance services cease during a shutdown, meaning new recipients may see delays in processing their claims.
Medicare and Medicaid should still continue during a federal government shutdown, but you may experience difficulty reaching these agencies as some employees are furloughed. Some communications from the agency may be stalled or outdated.

What about my VA services?

Those who rely on services or treatment through the VA should not expect an impact on Veterans Health Administration (VHA) facilities, and almost all VHA employees will remain on the job, and access to benefits under the Veterans Benefits Administration (VBA) should still continue. The National Cemetery Administration’s (NCA) burial, scheduling of burials, first notice of death, and headstone processing functions should also continue; however, there will be no grounds maintenance or placement of permanent headstones at VA cemeteries.

Issues with a federal agency? Where can you get help?

You can contact my office to open a case for you, and we can contact an agency on your behalf and provide you with updates if they are open or when they reopen at the conclusion of a shutdown. To have my team open a case on your behalf, please find the authorization form here. During a shutdown, my office will continue to submit inquiries to federal agencies, including requesting updates on constituents’ behalf, submitting paperwork, and opening new cases. We will continue providing you with updates as soon as they are available.

What happens to federal employees?

Federal employees in impacted agencies are either:

Furloughed: Temporarily sent home without pay, or
Required to work without pay if their roles are deemed essential.

Although Congress has historically approved retroactive back pay once the government reopens – and codified this practice through the Government Employee Fair Treatment Act of 2019 – employees still face immediate financial hardships. During the 2018–2019 partial shutdown, about 380,000 were furloughed and 420,000 worked without pay, forcing many to delay mortgage or credit card payments and risk late fees or defaults.

Government contractors, by contrast, typically do not receive back pay, leaving millions of contract workers vulnerable to lost income. During the 2018–2019 shutdown alone, an estimated 4.1 million contractors were affected, though the exact number is unclear.

I'm traveling to Washington, D.C. - will my tours still take place?

Unfortunately, no. The tour guides and visitor centers of federal government buildings are considered non-essential and will be closed during a shutdown. This means that all tours of the U.S. Capitol, White House, and FBI Building will be canceled during a shutdown. If you have further questions regarding your visit or the status of your tours, please contact Gretchen Hazard at Gretchen.Hazard@mail.house.gov.

How does a shutdown end?

A shutdown ends when Congress passes and the President signs individual appropriations bills, a package of appropriations bills, or a continuing resolution to fund affected agencies. The President cannot end a shutdown unilaterally.

How does a shutdown impact the economy?

Shutdowns harm both the public and the economy by:

Delaying services and benefits
Forcing federal workers to miss paychecks, reducing consumer spending
Impact the quality of jobs data collected by the Bureau of Labor Statistics
Causing lost government revenue, such as national park fees
Requiring costly contingency planning by federal agencies

The Congressional Budget Office estimated the 2018–2019 shutdown cost the U.S. economy $11 billion, some of which was never recovered.

Which federal facilities could be affected in Western New York?

If a shutdown occurs, the following facilities and services in or near New York’s 26th District may experience impacts:

Niagara Falls Air Reserve Station and other military facilities
Buffalo VA Medical Center, Buffalo VA Regional Benefit Center, and other VA facilities serving Western New York veterans
Federal courthouses and offices in Buffalo and the surrounding areas
National Parks and Forests, including the Theodore Roosevelt Inaugural Site and other federally-managed lands
Airports in Western New York
IRS facilities and federal law enforcement agencies such as the FBI, ATF, DEA, or CBP

If you have questions or need assistance with a federal agency during a shutdown, please contact my offices:

Buffalo District Office – (716) 852-3501
Washington, D.C. Office – (202) 225-3306