What the federal government shutdown will look like in Delaware

The U.S. Senate failed to reach a budget deal over the weekend, forcing the second partial government shutdown in a little more than four years.

So what does this mean for Delaware? 

For most state residents, the answer is not much – at least not immediately.

Some of the nearly 3,000 civilian federal workers based in Delaware deemed "non-essential" will be furloughed on Monday. 

But Medicaid and Medicare health benefits will continue. Social Security checks will still be sent out. Federal courts will remain in session. And postal workers will continue to deliver the mail.

And if the shutdown goes beyond a week? Like perhaps the 16 days the last federal shutdown in 2013 lasted?

That's when things start to get ugly with possible delayed benefits for veterans, delayed paychecks for military personnel, possible Head Start closures and a slew of programs that help Delaware's most vulnerable families slowly grinding to a halt.

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"Despite this frustrating outcome tonight, I continue to believe that the disagreements between Republicans and Democrats on the issues that brought us to this point can be overcome," Sen. Chris Coons, D-Del., said in an early Saturday release. "Tomorrow and every day until this is resolved, I will continue to work as hard as I can to help us reach a sensible, responsible way forward."

Congress is supposed to pass a budget resolution in April, but that rarely happens anymore. Last year, Congress passed three short-term spending bills to keep the government operating. The last of those continuing resolutions runs out at midnight Friday.

The House on Thursday passed another stopgap spending bill that would keep the government funded through Feb. 16. But that measure needs a 60-vote supermajority to break a filibuster and clear the Senate.

Senators from both political parties voted against the temporary spending plan in the hopes of forcing a long-term solution. Democrats are also demanded that Congress address the fate of undocumented immigrants brought to the United States as children, fund the Children's Health Insurance Program and provide additional assistance to areas ravaged by last year's hurricanes.

Sen. Tom Carper, D-Del., said on the Senate floor that the president is responsible. By walking away from a budget that included funding for the border wall, President Donald Trump didn't show leadership, according to Carper.

"Problems start from the top, and they have to get solved from the top and the president’s the leader. And he’s got to get everybody in a room, and he’s got to lead," Carper said. "So, I really think the pressure is on the president.”

Carper isn't worried about the political fallout for Democrats at midterms, he said, because people see the shutdown as the president's fault. 

“When they talk about the government shutdown, they’re going to be talking about the president of the United States, who the president was at that time.”

Carper referred to Trump's criticism of President Barack Obama during the 2013 shutdown for failing to "lead" the country when he said Trump should "look in the mirror" and "take his own advice."

He said he voted "nay" to a fourth temporary spending bill after approving the first three because it's a wasteful and inefficient way of governing.

"If I thought the continuing resolution would get us to a comprehensive agreement on budget, I would vote for this," he said. "Insanity is to keep on doing the same thing and expect a different result."

Carper said Saturday he and other senators are working late into the night and Sunday night to get a bill passed as quickly as possible. 

"We are looking, hopefully, at days, not weeks," Carper said. 

But what happens next in Delaware is something of a mystery. A handful of local federal agencies contacted by The News Journal said they had not received any guidance on the political situation as of late Friday afternoon.

The most likely scenario might be a replay of the 2013 government shutdown.

When that occurred, some federal programs that assist low-income families immediately stopped providing new vouchers, such as the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women Infants and Children program, or WIC. The program provides funding for food and nutrition education to about 20,000 women and children in Delaware.

Roughly 500 civilian workers at Dover Air Force Base and 350 who work for the Delaware National Guard were told to stay home during the 2013 shutdown. They went unpaid until it ended about two weeks later.

If this year's shutdown were to last that long, even active-duty service members who continue to show up for work would start missing paychecks on Feb. 1.

"The uncertainty of the current circumstances puts our workforce in a difficult situation and, should a government shutdown occur, it could impose hardships on many employees, as well as the people whom we serve every day," Deputy Secretary of Defense Patrick Shanahan wrote in a memo issued Friday. "We will work closely with all staff to do our best to support you through this period."

Delaware National Guard spokesman Lt. Col. Len Gratteri said it is hard to predict what exactly will happen if the federal government shuts down. But, he said, all essential operations will continue.

"Our attitude is to keep doing our job and sort out all the details afterward," he said.

A lengthy shutdown almost certainly would force the cancellation of weekend drills in February, however. That would mean no weapons qualifications or physical training tests and no paychecks for nearly 2,000 traditional Guardsmen.

A long shutdown also could impact the 75,000 veterans living in Delaware. A week into the 2013 budget impasse, the Wilmington Veterans Benefits Administration office near Elsmere closed its doors, forcing veterans to either file claims online or by mail.

Community centers that use federal funds are at risk, as well. Wes Davis, director of development at West End Neighborhood House in Wilmington, said the nonprofit might have to curtail after-school programs, tutoring, adult education courses and employment training if the shutdown lasts beyond a few days.

The shutdown five years ago also forced the immediate closure of the Bombay Hook and Prime Hook national wildlife refuges.

Ethan McKinley, superintendent of the First State National Historic Park, which includes seven sites throughout the state, remained optimistic Friday that visitors would not be impacted this go round.

"We fully expect the government to remain open," he wrote in an email. "However in the event of a shutdown, national parks will remain as accessible as possible while still following all applicable laws and procedures."

The government shutdown also could take a heavy toll on some businesses. In 2013, a small federal agency in the Treasury Department called the Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau continued to collect excise taxes from microbreweries but stopped reviews of new operations, recipes and labels.

Eric Williams, co-founder of Mispillion River Brewing in Milford, said a repeat of that would delay the release of several new beers and could postpone the planned opening of a new brewpub set for next year.

"It would be extremely frustrating if this shutdown were to happen just as we're trying to grow our business," he said. "It would hurt our pockets, and if it goes on very long, it could end up affecting our ability to create jobs."

State government also could feel the impact of a federal shutdown, as federal funding for certain programs begins drying up. Several state agencies on Friday said they would be able to continue uninterrupted by using state funds for at least a few weeks.

"However, if they are shut down, there is more than financial issues at stake," said Shawn Garvin, secretary of the Delaware Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control.

"There will be technical support issues, processing of permits, etc.," he said. "All in all, it would not be a positive thing for the people of Delaware.”

Contact reporter Scott Goss at (302) 324-2281, sgoss@delawareonline.com or on Twitter @ScottGossDel.