The ongoing budget dispute in Washington could have repercussions that spread much farther than the U.S. capital. So lawmakers are cracking down, in an attempt to prevent a government shutdown.
U.S. Senator Catherine Cortez Masto said, “Families can sit around a kitchen table and balance their budget, even the state of Nevada has to balance its budget at the end of the day, but our congress can't even pass the budget let alone balance it.” “It’s time to stop kicking the can down the road, it’s time to come together and get something done."
U.S. Senator Dean Heller said in a statement, “While I am disappointed that congress has resorted to yet another short-term solution, I am even more disappointed that Senate Democrats continue to prevent this bill from receiving a vote and have blocked appropriations bills, which is the reason why we are in this position to begin with."
If lawmaker’s efforts are not successful, congress will continue to operate. However, these services in and around Nevada could see an impact:
During the 2013 government shutdown, museums and U.S. national parks like Yosemite had to close their gates.
The U.S. Department of Defense tells us that military personnel will still report to work at places like NAS Fallon. However, these individuals will not receive pay until a shutdown is over. Citizens in the military who perform 'excepted activities', like providing life protection, will also come to work. The civilian workforce, who does not, will stay at home.
The Bruce R. Thompson federal building and U.S. courthouse won't close immediately. According to Debra Kempi, a clerk for the U.S. district court in Nevada, our federal courts could sustain operations for a few weeks beyond a shutdown because of a funding cushion.
We also reached out to the Reno IRS office who tells us they don't want to speculate what would happen to their employees since an official shutdown has not happened yet.
The Reno-Tahoe International airport tells us that TSA officers and air traffic control operators will see no impact by a government shutdown and will remain on the job.
While places like the post office will also remain open. The U.S. Postal Service issued us this statement saying in part, quote, "Because we are an independent entity that is funded through the sale of our products and services, and not by tax dollars, our services will not be impacted by a government shutdown."
