How Would a Government Shutdown Affect Riverside County?

As Congress debates funding the federal government, and a Monday deadline looms, Patch asked Riverside County Congressional leaders how a shutdown might affect residents.

Jason Gagnon, communications director for Rep. Ken Calvert, said each federal agency is developing a contingency plan and will be able to identify some services as essential to continue operating.

“The Congressman is hoping to avoid a shutdown. That’s his number one objective at this point,” Gagnon said.

Calvert, a Republican who was first elected to the House in 1992, represents most of southwest Riverside County except for Temecula.

Among the services that will likely be considered essential are the Border Patrol and the military. But it's not clear whether personnel would be paid in the event of a shutdown. Civilian employees of the military may be furloughed.

Social Security checks will go out as scheduled and treatment under Medicare will continue, but applications for new benefits could be delayed, according to national press reports.

National Parks and the Smithsonian museums in Washington will close. Many government agencies such as the Small Business Administration and Environmental Protection Agency would effectively shut down.

Federal courts can continue to operate for about two weeks. The U.S. Postal Service will not be affected.

The White House has an online list of contingency plans, most last updated in December 2011 as another government shutdown loomed.

Rep. Raul Ruiz, who represents Banning, Beaumont, Hemet and Coachella Valley, said he was "disappointed that hyper-partisans in Congress are manufacturing another crisis that will risk our country’s economic recovery.

"It’s time for Republicans and Democrats to work together to pass a bipartisan bill that ensures our recovering economy continues to grow, that our troops in combat continue to receive pay, and that our veterans and seniors continue to receive critical benefits they earned. I stand ready to work with my colleagues in both political parties toward that end,” said the freshman Democratic Congressman from Palm Desert.

The government shut down twice as Democrats and Republicans sparred over the budget during the administration of President Bill Clinton. Much of the federal government was closed for five days in November 1995 and then from mid-December 1995 to early January 1996.