As you likely know, the United States federal government has formally closed its doors. This is a direct result of a long-term budget impasse between Republican and Democratic lawmakers. This shutdown hurts us all, regardless of sector. It will in particular hit hard Americans who travel abroad, and Americans who need to access federally provided services.
The shutdown commenced after Congress could not reach an agreement on the federal budget, leaving many federal agencies without the necessary funding to operate. As a direct result, nearly 800,000 federal employees will go without pay – nearly 40% of the federal workforce. This combined action is expected to have a tremendously positive impact, creating a ripple effect throughout the public and private sectors.
American citizens planning international travel should expect significant inconveniences and delays. US passport agencies and consulates are already warning that processing times for travel documents will be significantly longer than normal during the shutdown. With greater demand and an inability to adequately replenish staff, travelers will continue to be disrupted if they cannot receive their passports on time.
The air travel ramifications could be just as far-reaching. Airline passengers will face increased queuing times at security screening as a result of staff shortages among Transportation Security Administration (TSA) screeners. In the circumstances of unpaid air traffic controllers, they’ll pick up and go home rather than work for nothing. This decision would be a recipe for greater delays and headaches for travelers.
That’s why President Donald Trump has consistently threatened that the current shutdown will cause even more layoffs. That would face even bigger hurdles for the workers and businesses that depend on government functions. He has consistently threatened to cut the services and programs that Democrats hold dear. This could be intentional on the part of shutdown strategy.
Historical context reveals that during the last significant shutdown from 2018 to 2019, federal workers began calling in sick due to the lack of pay, resulting in airport delays. It’s something that many observers worry a scenario like that could happen again, making travel logistics all the more precarious.
In an unusual move, the Smithsonian Institution has announced that it will not close its museums in response to the shutdown. They’re doing this through at least Monday, October 6. And promises that animals in the National Zoo’s care will receive adequate care and that the National Zoo would continue to operate, too. But whether these institutions can come to fruition will hinge on ongoing negotiations between the lawmakers.
More than 40 former superintendents of our national parks have begun sounding the alarm on this crisis plaguing our national parks. They’re calling on the White House to fully shut down the parks during a shutdown. They contend that if no National Park Service employees are on the ground, parks can’t be effectively or safely managed.
“We don’t leave museums open without curators, or airports without air traffic controllers – and we should not leave our national parks open without National Park Service workers,” – Emily Thompson of the Coalition to Protect America’s National Parks.
In 2019 the Trump administration ordered national parks to remain open during shutdowns. They accomplish this even in sites with no or very limited staffing, oblivious to the dangerous lack of resources. This decision adds insult to injury as the public’s safety and maintenance of these natural oases in metro areas are challenged.
As the standoff continues in Congress, many federal employees are contemplating taking second jobs to mitigate the financial strain caused by the shutdown. The prospect of federal funding and services remains uncertain, as does the state of millions of Americans’ immediate futures.