President Donald Trump and congressional Democrats remained at a stalemate over border security on Friday, as the government shutdown stretches into another weekend.
Funding for about a quarter of the government’s departments ran out on Dec. 22 as Congress failed to pass a stopgap funding bill that could have avoided the partial shutdown, which is now the longest in United States history.
A majority of government agencies — the Department of Defense, Health and Human Services and the Department of Labor among them — are funded through Sept. 30. However, the departments of Homeland Security, Justice, Agriculture, Commerce, Interior and other agencies were forced to limit staff to personnel considered “essential” to public safety.
Both furloughed employees and essential workers will not be paid until the shutdown is ended.
Here’s a look at which agencies are closed during the partial shutdown and which remain open in New York.
Closed
- Some national parks are closed during the shutdown. The National Park Service has been left with just a skeleton staff, but officials said parks would remain "as accessible as possible." The Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island, however, remain open through the use of recreation fees and support from other partners, the NPS said.
- Museums and historical sites run by the National Park Service also are closed, including The National Museum of the American Indian, Federal Hall, African Burial Ground, Hamilton Grange Memorial, General Grant N. Memorial, Cooper Hewitt National Design Museum and Theodore Roosevelt’s Birthplace.
- IRS customer service is suspended, and the majority of workers with the Federal Trade Commission, Federal Communications Commission and Consumer Product Safety Commission have been furloughed. The IRS announced on Jan. 7 it intends to begin processing tax returns and will issue refunds as planned, despite the shutdown.
- The Small Business Association has shut down its role in the federal contracting process and will no longer approve loan applications, which will affect millions of small businesses.
- Loans and mortgage approvals will not be processed by the Federal Housing Administration, which will slow down potential new homeowners.
Open
- The United States Postal Service is an independent agency of the executive branch and will continue to operate despite the partial shutdown.
- Airports and train stations kept safe by the Transportation Security Administration will function thanks to roughly 53,000 “essential” staffers across the country who will work despite not receiving a paycheck. Air traffic controllers and railroad safety inspectors will also continue to work. On Friday, Jan. 25, however, the Federal Aviation Administration was forced to issue a brief ground stop at LaGuardia Airport and significant delays persisted due to too many employees calling in sick, as many have been working without a paycheck for 35 days.
- Federal prisons will remain staffed by correction officers employed through the Justice Department since they are also considered “essential” workers.
- Programs via the departments of Labor, Energy, Defense, Health and Human Services, Education and Veterans Affairs will continue to operate, as will Medicare and Social Security.
With Reuters and Matthew Chayes
