How the federal government shutdown is impacting Minnesota so far
The federal government shutdown is already hitting home for thousands of Minnesotans. From postponed paychecks, to closed national parks, the fallout is growing.
President Trump is also threatening to fire thousands of furloughed workers, posting to social media on Wednesday night that the shutdown is an "opportunity" to save billions of dollars.
Republicans want to pass the clean House GOP bill to fund the government into November, but Democrats are not backing down from their demand to extend health care subsidies.
During a shutdown, federal offices in Minnesota will close. People will still receive Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid payments. Other programs, like a supplemental nutrition program for women and children, will eventually run out of funds.
Post offices will remain open and mail delivery will continue.
Here are just some of the other ways the shutdown is impacting Minnesotans.
Air travel
Those deemed essential will continue working, but also won't get paid until after the shutdown. That includes air traffic controllers and TSA agents.
In the longest government shutdown in 2018 and 2019 — 35 days in all — there were very long lines at the Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport, when the TSA agents stopped showing up for work
Now, a number of people at the airport have told WCCO they would be very concerned about flying during a shutdown.
Ruark Hotopp represents Minnesota's federal employees, and said while they are showing up, lawmakers are pointing fingers and refusing to compromise.
"Let us be compensated for work we are performing while they are not performing their jobs," Hotopp said.
He said forcing people to balance safety with financial strain can directly impact the quality of service the public receives.
"To expect folks to continue to perform at maximum level while being treated like dirt doesn't make common sense," he said.
Hotopp said he is hopeful a deal will be reached sooner rather than later.
National Parks
A banner at the top of the U.S. Forest Service website reads, as of Thursday, the following: "The Radical Left Democrats shutdown the government. This government website will be updated periodically during the funding lapse for mission critical functions. President Trump has made it clear he wants to keep the government open and support those who feed, fuel, and clothe the American people."
The National Park Service is closed until lawmakers can come to an agreement. But until then, it's leaving thousands of the state's federal workers in limbo.
The lights are out at the Mississippi River Visitor Center, located in the lobby of the Science Museum of Minnesota in Downtown St. Paul. It's one of the first visible impacts of the shutdown in the state so far.
This story will be updated.
Editor's note: An earlier version of this story listed an inaccurate number of federal employees in Minnesota. It has since been updated.