When the government could shut down and what it would mean for services

At 12:01 a.m. Eastern on Wednesday, the federal government will shut down unless Congress can pass a short-term funding measure, something that currently looks unlikely to happen.

Earlier this month, the Republican-controlled House passed a continuing resolution that funds the government through Nov. 21 at current spending levels, while putting some extra money into a few specific areas, like security for the executive and judicial branches, as well as for members of Congress.

On Sept. 19, the House passed its bill, but that same day the bill failed in the Senate, as did a Democratic counter-offer, before that chamber left for the recess during the Jewish high holidays.

For a brief moment, it looked like the White House would get involved. Democratic Leaders wrote to President Donald Trump, demanding a meeting to discuss government funding. Trump agreed Wednesday only to reverse course the next day and cancel the meeting.

House Republican leaders also have cancelled votes for Sept. 29 and 30, effectively keeping members out of town in the run-up to the shutdown. The move puts pressure on the Senate to pass the House version or get the blame for the shutdown. (House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries is bringing Democrats back Monday night to show they’d be willing to negotiate and ready to vote on a revised funding measure.)

Instead of meeting, Republicans and Democrats are trading blame for who’s responsible, even as the clock continues to tick down.

Republicans have said they’re doing what Democrats have done in the past — passing a clean seven-week CR to allow negotiations to take place.

Democrats respond that they’re willing to work with the president but want to use this as an opportunity to protect health care coverage. They’re seeking continuation of the enhanced ACA tax credit, something some moderate Republicans support. Democrats also want to reverse the Medicaid cuts in the One Big Beautiful Bill, a change that’s extremely unlikely given that Republicans put so much effort this summer into passing Trump’s signature bill.

Unlike past shutdowns, this could be very different.

The administration will have the authority to determine what functions are considered “essential” or not. Those employees will still work without getting paid. But this is also the first shutdown since Trump started slashing the federal workforce, and his administration is threatening more layoffs if a shutdown happens.

The Office of Management and Budget, led by Russ Vought, sent a memo to department and agency heads saying that for any programs where funding lapses or is not deemed essential that they “are directed to use this opportunity to consider Reduction in Force (RIF) notices.”

That could mean that when the federal government does eventually reopen, it would return with an even smaller permanent workforce.

The longest government shutdown happened in 2018, during Trump’s first term. It started around the winter holidays and lasted 35 days, costing the economy approximately $11 billion, according to the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office. But that was considered only a partial shutdown because some appropriations bills had been signed into law, so not all parts of the federal government were closed. That would not be the case this time around.

Another shutdown happened in 2013, at the start of the new federal fiscal year and lasted 16 days. It reduced GDP by $20 billion, per Moody’s.

A shutdown impacts discretionary spending, which is set by the budget bills that Congress is required to pass and the president must sign into law. Things like Medicare and Medicaid payments, veterans' benefits, and Social Security are not funded through an appropriations bill and should continue uninterrupted.

Still, a shutdown could have impacts in large and small ways across the state, and around the country, especially if it were not quickly resolved.

If you’re flying soon …

Air traffic controllers and most TSA employees are considered “essential workers” and have to stay on the job, even if it means working without pay while the rest of the federal government shuts down.

If a shutdown drags on, travelers could see more “sick outs” of key personnel. That happened during the 2018-19 government shutdown as workers showed their anger over missing paychecks.

Lastly, if you’re planning on any international travel in the new year, you may need to build in even more time for passport renewals. The U.S. Passport agency will remain open, but it could take longer to process applications with some employees furloughed.

What about the mail?

The Postal Service will keep the mail moving as usual in the event of a shutdown. The USPS. is primarily self-funded and doesn’t depend on the appropriations process to continue running as usual.

Benefit and Safety Net Programs

Social Security, VA and other benefits will continue, but there could be some delay in services, such as processing applications.

In a shutdown, the first to feel the pinch could be the mothers and young children who rely on the WIC food program. That benefit cuts off almost immediately. According to Colorado’s WIC dashboard, just over 100,000 clients were enrolled in the program in August 2025.

SNAP, formerly known as food stamps, will last longer but could also run out if a shutdown drags on. Typically continuing resolutions authorize USDA to send out benefits for 30 days after a shutdown starts. Stores that accept the benefit would not be able to renew their license during that time.

There could be missed paychecks and lost jobs

Perhaps the biggest impacts in Colorado will be felt by the state’s approximately 41,000 federal employees and 36,000 active duty military service members, who do not get a paycheck during a government shutdown. The White House also is threatening mass layoffs (RIF) of federal employees, in addition to furlough notices, if a shutdown happens.

A shutdown would happen toward the end of a pay period, so the first full paycheck missed for federal employees would be Oct. 24, while for the military it would be Oct. 15.

The only salaries the federal government continues to pay during a shutdown will be members of Congress and the president, according to the Constitution. However, elected officials can request that their paychecks be deferred while a shutdown is ongoing.

Federal employees and military will get back pay once the shutdown is over.

Earlier this year, tens of thousands of federal employees accepted deferred resignations, leaving their positions while still collecting their pay through the end of September. That program will end before the shutdown takes hold.

National Parks are a big question mark

During the 2018-19 shutdown, the Trump administration kept National Parks accessible to the public, even as many Park Service employees had to stay home.

At the time, there were reports of damage and trash in the unattended parks. And a GAO opinion in September 2019 found the Trump administration violated federal law when it used entrance fees to keep the parks accessible.

In 2013, the Obama administration closed national parks, but some states, including Colorado, paid to keep theirs open.

Gov. Jared Polis said Colorado is evaluating its options and would be a “willing partner if needed to use limited state funds to keep our biggest park fully operational if necessary.” Rocky Mountain National Park was the fifth-most-visited national park last year.

“We would certainly ask the Federal government to keep the parks open and staffed, or create avenues for the state to assist in keeping parks open and protected,” Polis said in a statement. “If Congress does not fund the federal government, I urge the Administration to prioritize the operations of the national parks that so many people love and are a huge economic driver for our rural communities, especially during leaf peeping season.”

The weather forecasts will keep coming

Ahead of past possible shutdowns, the National Weather Service has said it would continue to provide routine forecasts, as well as extreme weather watch and warning information through its forecasting offices.

Many other day-to-day weather operations also will continue uninterrupted, including urgent repairs to radars and other key equipment. But a shutdown could delay routine maintenance, upgrades and long-term projects for less-critical services, according to NWS.

Previous government shutdowns have delayed the processing of long-term weather and climate data at other federal agencies.

The shutdown in October 2013, for example, prevented the U.S. Geological Survey from gathering and analyzing information on damage caused by catastrophic flooding that occurred across the Front Range just a few weeks prior, according to an assessment from the Obama administration.

The data loss prevented scientists and first responders from fully assessing the effects of the $4 billion disaster and likely hurt the federal government’s ability to share timely information with state officials about possible pollution caused by the flooding in the South Platte River Basin, the assessment found.