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The United States government shut down on Wednesday October 1 as Democrats and Republicans entered a stalemate and failed to agree on the terms for keeping the government funded. Several key federal agencies will be affected by the shutdown, and this is what Americans should know about how it will impact travel plans.
What Exactly is a Government Shutdown?
A government shutdown occurs when the funding deadline (which is the start of the fiscal year, beginning on October 1) passes without Congress authorizing more spending. According to the Constitution, the Treasury Department cannot spend money without authorization. Without funding, important agencies cannot continue to function, so the government shuts down temporarily.
Main Impacts
During a shutdown, the federal government stops all non-essential functions until they receive funding approval from Congress. Essential agencies, like federally funded hospitals or air traffic controllers, will continue to function.
Impact on Air Travel
So, what does this mean for travel? Since air traffic controllers and TSA are considered essential, they will continue to work through the shutdown. However, there are still some thing travelers must be aware of if they’re planning air travel during the shutdown.
TSA Working Without Pay
TSA workers will work without pay during the shutdown, so commercial flights will continue. However, depending on how long the shutdown lasts, there may be impacts to wait times and lines at the airport.
If History Repeats
The last government shutdown was in 2018-2019 and lasted 35 days. During this time, many TSA officers had to call out of work due to financial hardship. The staffing shortages caused the airports to have to shut down some TSA lines and this increased the wait time to get passengers through security.
International Travel
For those planning to travel internationally, it would be smart to give yourself extra time for passport renewals and be prepared for this process to take longer than usual. U.S. passport agencies will remain open during a shutdown, but it will likely take longer to process renewal applications as some employees will be furloughed.
The Longer, The Bigger Impact
The longer the government is shut down and workers are forced to work without pay, the more probable it is that there will be a significant impact on travel for Americans. It is a good idea to leave ample time to get through security during this time.
Train Travel
Train travel will remain relatively unchanged. Amtrak released a statement in response to the shutdown, “Passengers planning to travel on Amtrak trains in the Northeast Corridor and across the country in the coming days and weeks can be assured that Amtrak will remain open for business”.
Greatest Concerns With a Prolonged Government Shutdown
If the shutdown is to continue for weeks and even months, it will have a significant impact on the federal employees who work for the agencies impacted by the shutdown. There will be missed paychecks and lost jobs.