Congress is running out of time to fund the government before a partial federal shutdown.
The Senate has less than six hours to pass a spending bill approved earlier in the afternoon by the House in order to beat a deadline for a midnight shutdown. Unless the Senate approves the bill and sends it to President Joe Biden to sign by midnight tonight, the federal government will begin a partial shutdown of services on Saturday.
The US government has shut down or had funding gaps 20 times for at least one day. The most recent shutdown was 34 days, spanning the end of 2018 into the start of 2019. While the government hasn't shut down since then, the threat of one has become increasingly common in recent years whenever funding deadlines approach.
By a vote of 366-34, the House late Friday afternoon approved a spending bill that will fund the federal government into March. Representatives on Thursday had failed to approve a budget after House Republicans and President-elect Donald Trump on Wednesday said they opposed an earlier short-term spending bill that would have kept the government running into next year. "This chaos would not be happening if we had a real president," Trump said in a statement. "We will in 32 days."
The bill now moves to the Senate to beat a Dec. 20 deadline to continue funding for the federal government. If tonight's deadline passes without Congress approving funding, the government will enter into a shutdown period until one is passed, during which time federal employees will be furloughed without pay and certain government services will cease to operate.
Should a shutdown occur to close out 2024, you can expect some vital services to continue while others are put on hold. Here's what we know. For more, here's how the shutdown will or won't affect air travel this holiday season. Here's how to protect your Social Security number from thieves and how long you have left to sign up for ACA health insurance.
Will I still get my Social Security check during a government shutdown?
The Social Security Administration has plans in place to ensure that it will send Social Security checks out in the event of a government shutdown. This applies for Social Security benefits as well as Supplemental Security Income and Social Security Disability Insurance.
"We will continue activities critical to our direct-service operations and those needed to ensure accurate and timely payment of benefits," administration officials wrote in a Sept. 25, 2024, letter [pdf] setting out a contingency plan for a lapse of funding.
You could, however, expect to see delays for other Social Security Administration services, such receiving a new Social Security card and making an appointment or customer service responses. Benefit verifications and processing overpayments will stop during a shutdown, the administration wrote in the letter.
Will I still get Medicare during a government shutdown?
Just like with Social Security, you can expect to continue receiving benefits during a government shutdown if you have Medicare or Medicaid. According to a rundown posted by the office of Virginia Rep. Jennifer Wexton, these benefits, however, could cease in the event that a shutdown lasted longer than three months, but such a possibility is considerably outside the realm of historical. Some services, however, such as replacing a Medicare card, will go on hold during a shutdown.
Will I still get my SNAP and WIC food assistance in a shutdown?
The Agriculture Department said it will maintain core nutrition programs (PDF) during a shutdown, including the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, the Child Nutrition programs and the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants and Children, aka WIC. However, it may have funding for just 30 days for some programs, such as SNAP.
Will I still get my VA benefits if the government shuts down?
The Department of Veterans Affairs said it will still provide access to health care, benefits and memorial services during a shutdown. That includes processing and paying compensation and pension claims.
Will a government shutdown impact air travel over the holidays?
Federal employees are expected to work during a shutdown despite not being paid during it. This includes air traffic controllers, Transportation Security Administration (TSA) officials, and Customs and Border Protection agents.
On Thursday, acting Secretary of Homeland Security David P. Pekoske posted on X that about "59,000 of the [TSA's] 62,000-plus employees are considered essential and would continue working without pay in the event of a shutdown. We expect to screen 40M passengers over the holidays and through January 2. While our personnel are prepared to handle high volumes of travelers and ensure safe travel, please be aware that an extended shutdown could mean longer wait times at airports."
What is keeping Congress from approving a short-term budget
On Wednesday, Trump said a spending bill either needed to raise the debt limit or remove the limit, writing in a joint statement with Vice President-elect JD Vance that "anything else is a betrayal of our country." On Thursday, however, the House failed to approve a spending bill that addressed Trump's demand.
Thursday night, however, Trump reiterated demand: "Congress must get rid of, or extend out to, perhaps, 2029, the ridiculous Debt Ceiling. Without this, we should never make a deal."
The debt limit imposes a legal cap on how much the US Treasury can borrow when the federal government runs a deficit. The limit was previously raised during funding negotiations in 2023 and raising it again was not initially part of negotiations.
"GOP extremists want House Democrats to raise the debt ceiling so that House Republicans can lower the amount of your Social Security check. Hard pass," House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries said in a post on Bluesky.
For more, find out what sort of changes could be on the way for Medicare in 2025.
