Government Shutdown Information

Posted Saturday, April 9th 2011, 1:11 AM edt

Miller Statement on Budget Agreement
April 9, 2011 12:51 AM

WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Rep. George Miller (D-CA), senior Democrat on the Education and the Workforce Committee issued the following statement on the budget agreement announced tonight.

"I am awaiting the details of the funding agreement announced tonight and will review them carefully. But I have my concerns.

"The American people have been told the agreement contains both 'historic' and 'painful' cuts. The question will be painful for whom.

"Poor and middle class families have already received more than their fair share of pain in this economy while the wealthy and special interests have paid no price.

"The original Republican budget proposal, HR 1, heaped all of the pain on working families, cutting jobs while protecting tax cuts for the wealthy and subsidies for big oil.

"And whatever pain is in this agreement announced tonight, the Republicans' FY2012 budget that ends the guarantee of Medicare promises more unbalanced pain on the way."

__________________
President Barack Obama and Congressional leaders are trying to negotiate an agreement to keep the federal government up and running, but it is possible that they will not reach an agreement before the current funding bill runs out at the end of this week. The government will shut down Friday, April 8, at midnight (EDT) if a funding bill does not pass the House and Senate and is signed into law by the President. There’s no need for that to happen and it would be very costly to each of us.

My staff will continue to revise and update this page as information becomes available or changes.

Below you will find information about how a government shutdown might affect you.

Sincerely,

Rep. George Miller
Updated: April 8th 2011 2:08 edt

How did we get to this impasse?
Every year, Congress must pass legislation to fund services provided by the federal government, and it is normal to have some disagreement between the two political parties about the budget.

The latest budget fiscal year began in October2010, and we have passed several continuing resolutions—short-term budgets—to keep government services running since then. This year, though, the new majority in the House is pushing for drastic cuts and extreme policy changes, known as “riders,” that have nothing to do with reducing spending, such as eliminating clean air programs, cutting off funding for Planned Parenthood, and undermining the creation the new Bureau of Consumer Financial Protection.

The Senate did not approve the House bill, and without a deal, the government will shut down on April 8, 2011. There is no reason to shutdown the government despite the disagreement over these issues. The government has shut down because the Republican majority is refusing to compromise. The President and Senate Democrats have agreed to accept spending cuts above what they originally offered, as a compromise. The Republicans in the House are insisting on higher spending cuts and the policy riders or they will shut down the government.

What federal services are subject to a shutdown?
In a shutdown, the federal government is restricted to services that protect the safety of human life and property. The military, air-traffic controllers, and law enforcement will remain on duty.

Other federal agencies must cut their operations to the bare minimum. That means federal agencies would suspend important services such as processing tax returns and small business loans, the National Institutes of Health would not accept new patients or start new clinical trials, and about 800,000 federal employees would not be allowed to report to work.

How would a shutdown affect you?

In general -- Customer service will be significantly impacted across the federal government. For instance, if you have a question about your Social Security check or Medicare reimbursement, it may be very difficult to get an answer. Federal agencies’ casework offices and websites and online services will be shut down or at limited functionality. More information about how my office can serve you is at my Help Desk.

IRS—Tax forms still need to be postmarked by Monday, April 18, but if you are filing paper tax returns, you would not receive tax refunds from the IRS until the government reopens, and many taxpayers would not be able to receive service from the IRS to help them meet their tax obligations.

Social Security and Medicare—Benefits for these crucial programs do not go through the appropriations process, so current participants should not notice any disruption. However, staff cuts and furloughs may delay other services such as enrolling new participants, holding hearings, or filing claims.

Veterans— VA hospitals will stay open, and disability compensation will be paid, but most of the veteran benefits customer support services would be suspended. If you have a question about your VA benefits, please call my Concord office.

Visas and Passports— Embassies will remain open for services for American citizens, but will not conduct visa interviews. In the 1996 shutdown (link), approximately 200,000 U.S. applications for passports reportedly went unprocessed, and U.S. tourist industries and airlines reportedly sustained millions of dollars in losses.

National Parks and other public lands— National Parks, National Wildlife Refuges, BLM public lands including campgrounds, visitor centers, and concession services will be closed. Visitors already at the sites will be given 48 hours to make alternate arrangements.

Other activities – According to the White House Office of Management and Budget, in the event of a government shutdown, National Weather Service alerts and forecasts, as well as earthquake monitoring, would continue. The U.S. Postal Service would continue mail collection, delivery, and other operations. Custom and Border Protection activity would continue. Military operations in Afghanistan, Libya, and Iraq would continue. The Federal Housing Administration would not endorse any single-family mortgage loans or have staff available to process and approve new multi-family loans.

Where do I stand?
I believe that the Republican majority in the House is trying to force deep budget cuts and serious policy changes that would eliminate hundreds of thousands of jobs, hurt working families, and impose extreme views that appeal to a narrow minority of the country and have not been approved through the regular legislative process. Our economy is just starting to grow again, creating more than 200,000 jobs in March alone. A government shutdown would stall economic recovery. There’s no need for that to happen and it would be very costly, but the risk is real if Republicans refuse to meet President Obama and the Democrats halfway.

Where can I get more information?
Please call my Washington office or any of my three California offices for updates or for specific questions. You can also follow me at Facebook.com/repgeorgemiller and twitter.com/askgeorge.