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Government Shutdown

Government Shutdown

Government Shutdown

Our federal government is shut down because Congress and the President failed to pass the legislation necessary to keep our federal government open and operating in our new Fiscal Year 2026.
 
This is beyond deeply disappointing; it is disgusting. This was completely avoidable, and passing the necessary legislation remains completely doable. 
 
While I continue to work with likeminded colleagues on Capitol Hill to fund and fully reopen government, I want to provide some basic information on what’s going on, why and how it may affect you, answer some common questions and provide some resources. 
 
Most directly, my staff and I will remain on the job, and my DC and Honolulu offices will remain open throughout the shutdown to perform our legislative duties and help Hawai‘i and my constituents. If you have any questions or are facing issues with federal services during the shutdown, please reach out to my office at (808) 650-6688 or contact me here. We will do all we can to help you and others navigate this inexcusable shutdown.

What Is A Government Shutdown

A federal government shutdown occurs when federal government functions are not funded. This can occur at the end of a federal fiscal year (September 30th), when by law Congress must have passed and the President must have signed the federal funding measures for the new fiscal year. If that doesn’t happen, or a continuing resolution (CR) is not instead enacted for temporary funding while the regular process is completed, then there is no authorized funding and the shutdown commences.
 
In that event, federal government functions are classified as essential or non-essential. Essential functions continue and essential federal employees and contractors remain on the job, though without pay. Non-essential functions are suspended and non-essential federal employees are furloughed without pay. Many government contracts are suspended, which often forces some companies to furlough their employees as well.
 
Various government functions like national defense, transportation and border security are considered essential. Disaster relief services largely continue. Services that are independently funded outside of the yearly appropriations cycle, such as Social Security, passports, the U.S. Postal Service operations and Medicare, continue. Functions that are not considered essential and suspend include the Small Business Administration (for processing new, non-emergency loans), our national parks and the National Institutes of Health. 
 
Two reports from the Congressional Research Service explaining federal shutdowns are here and here.

Why Is This Shutdown Occurring And What Is the Solution

The President and his Congressional colleagues are in control of Congress, and they are shutting down the government to avoid critical action needed to prevent huge health care cost increases as well as loss of health care coverage for tens of millions of Americans, including tens of thousands of our own in Hawai‘i. Without action, we will see the imminent expiration at the end of this year of key enhanced health insurance premium benefits for those in most need. 

The solution is clearly a bipartisan compromise agreement for the good of the country that continues both overall government funding and literally life-and-death health care assistance to tens of millions of Americans. There are lots of ways to do this, and I’ve spent the recent days with like-minded colleagues walking through and advocating for various options under which we could surmount the deep partisanship and crippling my-way-or-the-highway division and achieve a bipartisan compromise vote. Until that happens, and with mutual commitment it can happen in just days, we must deal with the current shutdown as best we can. 

Effects of a Shutdown on Hawaii’s Federal Workers And Contractors

The most immediate effects of a federal government shutdown are borne unfairly by our Hawaii’s federal workers and contractors and their families. 
 
There are some 24,000 federal civilians working in our Hawai‘i, with roughly 19,000 of them working for our military. There are also around 47,000 servicemembers in Hawai‘i, plus their families. Further, there are thousands of contractors, grant recipients and others in Hawai‘i whose jobs are tied to our federal government. 
 
Federal employees whose responsibilities include essential services must work without pay until the shutdown ends, while non-essential federal employees will be furloughed without pay. Because of the Government Employee Fair Treatment Act, which I helped pass into law in 2019, furloughed and essential federal employees are guaranteed to receive backpay once the shutdown ends.
 
Federal agencies have crafted shutdown plans that offer some guidance to employees, contractors and grant recipients. You can review these plans from the respective agencies here. If you cannot find the information you need, please contact me.
 
President Trump has also stated that in the event of a shutdown he will initiate reductions-in-force (RIFs, or outright terminations of employment) throughout the federal workforce. This is unnecessary (as federal workers will either be working without pay or furloughed), intended to intimidate and punish, likely illegal and just cruel. His administration has not provided any further details.

Other Shutdown Effects

Shutdowns are disruptive and chaotic to federal government, so it is hard to predict exactly where and how this shutdown will affect what, especially under a disruptive and chaotic administration. The best projection is that most current essential services and those funded outside the regular appropriations process will continue (although it will be hard to get questions answered due to disrupted federal staffing), but that services, projects and grants in the non-essential parts of government will be increasingly curtailed. 
 
President Trump has suggested that in the event of a shutdown he would consider cutting federal benefits. This is irresponsible and likely illegal as benefits are mandated and not subject to being cut at Presidential whim, but as we have seen elsewhere that doesn’t mean he won’t attempt to cut or curtail some benefits anyway.

Federal Government Shutdown: Frequently Asked Questions


How long will this shutdown last?
 
It is unclear. Some shutdowns last less than a day, while the longest one, in the first Trump administration in 2018-2019, went on for over a month. Again, with mutual commitment to a bipartisan compromise, this one could be over within days. I will do my best to update you throughout this process, and again please be assured that my office will remain open. 

I am a federal employee. Will I receive back pay? After the 2018-2019 shutdown, Congress passed the Government Employee Fair Treatment Act, which requires retroactive pay for furloughed and essential employees following the end of a government shutdown. Generally, benefits such as health insurance continue during a shutdown; however, federal employees may need to wait until they are returned to pay status before adjusting their benefits.

As a furloughed federal employee, can I claim unemployment benefits? Federal employees may qualify for unemployment compensation during the shutdown. Federal employees can learn more about the process here and here or contact my office directly at (808) 650-6688. 

Can federal employees access their health benefits? Federal workers’ health insurance coverage will continue for the duration of the shutdown. Dental, vision and long-term care insurance will continue for two pay periods, after which federal employees will be responsible for paying premiums to maintain their benefits.

What is the impact on federal law enforcement? Federal law enforcement will also be required to work without pay for the duration of the shutdown. Although the administration has said it intends to pay law enforcement offices, it is unclear how it can legally do so.

What is the impact on U.S. military personnel?
 
All active-duty and national guard and reservists on active-duty orders are excepted (essential) and therefore are required to work without pay, though efforts have been made to continue paying servicemembers. On-base non-acute health care will cease, although off-base care provided through Tricare will not be affected. On-base childcare will be open on a case-by-case basis. Federal law enforcement will also be required to work without pay for the duration of the shutdown.

What does this mean for disaster relief efforts? Federal Emergency Management Agency staff will still respond to emergencies, and agencies involved in disaster response will continue their work. 
 
Will I continue to receive my Social Security and Supplemental Security Income (SSI) checks? Recipients will continue to receive their Social Security and SSI checks. The Social Security Administration (SSA) will provide limited services like issuing Social Security cards and holding appointments for benefit applications. However, SSA will stop services like benefit verifications and processing overpayments. Customer service wait times will dramatically increase. 
 
Will Medicare and Medicaid benefits be affected? Medicare will continue despite the government shutdown, but Medicaid only has enough funds to last through the end of December if not replenished. 
 
Will Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) continue? TANF assistance will continue as long as the State of Hawai‘i can continue to pay those benefits. At this time, the state has sufficient funds to support TANF.

What happens to veterans’ services? There will be no impact on veteran health care as medical facilities and clinics will remain operational. Burials will continue at Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) national cemeteries, to include the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific (Punchbowl). The VA will continue to process and deliver all benefits to veterans including compensation, pension, education and housing benefits. The VA will also continue to process appeals.

The GI Bill hotline is closed, and the VA will not provide veteran career counseling or transition assistance program activities. VA benefits regional offices are closed.

What impact is there on federal grants? No new funding is available for discretionary grant programs at this time. While grant recipients with existing awards can typically continue drawing funds, that can only continue until their allocation runs out, and payments may be delayed or paused. Additionally, most federal staff responsible for grant management are furloughed and not available to answer questions.

Will military and federal retiree benefits be suspended? Military and federal retirees will continue to receive their retirement benefits. Processing new applications or other requested changes will be delayed.

What is the impact on food assistance? The U.S. Department of Agriculture has said it is “prepared for all contingencies regarding department operations, including critical services and supports.” While the department has not provided specifics on how much funding is available, all Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program recipients should receive their October 2025 payments. 

Is the IRS impacted by the shutdown? Tax deadlines are not extended because of a shutdown. Taxpayers remain responsible for timely submitting any filings or tax payments on their original due dates.

Taxpayer services including call centers and taxpayer assistance centers are closed, and the IRS is not responding to paper correspondence. Tax refunds for late-filers will be delayed, except in cases where refunds for electronically filed and error-free returns can be deposited automatically.

What impact will the shutdown have on programs for Native Hawaiians and indigenous communities? A memo from the Senate Committee on Indian Affairs on how the shutdown is expected to impact native communities is available here.

Will air travel be affected? Air traffic controllers, Transportation Security Administration officers and Customs and Border Protection agents will remain on the job without pay. If some do not report to work, as has happened in prior shutdowns, there will be significant delays and longer wait times across the country.

What is the impact on housing? The Federal Housing Administration will stop insuring some new mortgages and the Department of Housing and Urban Development will stop processing some new loans. The U.S. Department of Agriculture will stop new loan and loan guarantee activity. The VA will continue to guarantee home loans. Funding for federal housing assistance programs, such as Housing Choice Vouchers, may be jeopardized in a prolonged shutdown.

How will this affect small businesses? The Small Business Administration (SBA) will stop processing new business loans, such as through the 7(a) and 504 programs. However, SBA’s Disaster Loan Program will continue regular operations. 

Will my mail still arrive? Yes. The U.S. Postal Service is not affected by a shutdown. 

Will I still be able to visit National Parks and monuments? The effects will vary by location and how long the shutdown lasts, and so you must check with the specific location and update. Many national parks are at least severely curtailed by normal visitor services or accessibility. Volcanoes National Park and Haleakalā National Park will likely be technically open but with significantly reduced services and accessibility. The Pacific Historic Parks at Pearl Harbor including the Pearl Harbor National Memorial and Visitors Center and USS Arizona will be open for the duration of a stopgap agreement with the National Park Service and the nonprofit partner (though note that the Arizona is intermittently closed separately for repairs). In some locations, state and country governments and nonprofit partners may similarly invest their own resources to keep some locations and services open. Again, check the specific location details in advance and update as they could change. 

Are the Smithsonian museums opens? The Smithsonian has determined that it has sufficient funding to keep its museums open until midnight on Saturday, October 11th. If the government shutdown continues past October 11th, the Smithsonian will close to the public and officially shut down on Sunday, October 12th. 

I'm coming to DC, will my tours still take place? Unfortunately, all tours of the U.S. Capitol, White House and the FBI Building will not take place during a shutdown. If you've booked a tour and wish to reschedule, please contact my Washington, DC office at (202) 225-2726.  

How does this affect passports and help for Americans overseas? Consular services, passport services and visa services are expected to continue in a short shutdown. In a prolonged shutdown, passport and visa issuance could be slowed. Access to passport agencies located in some government buildings may be limited.

What is the impact on state and local services? The federal government shutdown will not immediately affect any state or local services. However, with federal funding cut off, some state or local governments may have to change their operations. Check with state and local agencies for specific questions.

I have a federally issued-student loan. How will this impact payments and administration of student loans? The U.S. Department of Education will continue to issue loans and process Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) applications. If you have federal student loans, you should continue to make your payments on time to stay in good standing and prevent going into default. 


Again, if you have any questions or needs, please call me at (808) 650-6688 or email me at ed.case@mail.house.gov