Washington, Sep 30 (EFE).- The likely shutdown of the United States federal government would affect non-core government services, such as the operation of national parks, the possibility of carrying out certain administrative processes, and could even cause massive delays and cancellations at airports in the long run.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
President Trump stated on Tuesday that the shutdown was “probably likely” after talks with congressional leaders regarding continued funding before a midnight deadline showed little progress.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
In the evening a Republican proposal that sought to extend federal funding until November failed to secure the necessary votes to prevent the government shutdown that is scheduled to take effect at midnight.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
With 55 votes in favor and 45 against, the proposal fell short of the 60 votes needed to pass, which would have given both parties another seven weeks to negotiate.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
During the government shutdown, federal museums, including the Smithsonian Institution’s 21 museums in Washington and New York, would close; however, some of these institutions may find that they can use leftover funds to operate on an interim basis.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The same would be true for the more than 63 National Parks across the country, although many would remain accessible but without ranger service or open visitor centers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Some states, such as Arizona, Utah, and Colorado, have said they will use state funds to keep their most popular parks fully open.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The Department of Education is expected to be mostly closed, as are regulatory agencies such as the Food and Drug Administration.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u200bWhile electronic transactions related to the Internal Revenue Service would not be affected, the agency would not process paper documents or take phone calls.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u200bLaw enforcement, postal service, social security and health programs such as Medicare, and air traffic control would continue to function.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Security forces, including the FBI, the CIA, and the Army, would continue to operate in the event of a shutdown, as would air traffic controllers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
However, none of them would be paid until Congress passes a budget that would allow the full reopening of the federal government.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The postal service would also keep its functions intact, as would Social Security <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Because they are considered essential personnel, Transportation Security Administration employees and air traffic controllers will not be affected by the partial shutdown of the federal government. However, their salaries will not be paid until a bipartisan agreement is reached.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
It is to be expected, as happened in the shutdown that took place during Trump’s first term in office (2017-2021), between December 2018 and January 2019, that if the partial suspension is prolonged, many representatives of unions will begin to absent themselves from their posts to exert pressure on Congress. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
This would cause significant delays and even flight cancellations across the country. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
US embassies and consular services (including passport and visa processing) will generally remain operational during the shutdown, although processing times could increase due to reduced staff availability. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
A prolonged shutdown could also disrupt programs such as WIC, a federal initiative that provides food supplements and medical care to pregnant and breastfeeding women, as well as infants and children under the age of five from low-income families at risk of malnutrition. EFE <\/p>\n\n\n\n
asb\/mcd<\/p>\n\n\n\n
<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"