Peninsula Daily News news sources
HERE IS A look at how government services have been affected, and sometimes not, by the partial federal government shutdown:
■ Recreation: All national parks have been closed since the shutdown began, but the Obama administration said last week it would allow states to use their own money to reopen some national parks.
Agreements were reached between the federal government and some states to reopen some national parks and monuments, including the Statue of Liberty, Grand Canyon National Park, Mount Rushmore and parks in Utah and Colorado. Colorado also reached an agreement to reopen Rocky Mountain National Park.
But several states say they are unlikely to participate, including Washington. Gov. Jay Inslee’s office said the state does not have the money to reopen Olympic National Park or other federal parks and sanctuaries.
In Washington, D.C., monuments along the National Mall have been closed, as have the Smithsonian museums, including the National Zoo.
National wildlife refuges were closed to hunters and fishers just as hunting season was getting underway in many states.
However, the Fish and Wildlife Service said late Friday that it’s reopening several wildlife refuges, mostly in the Midwest, to allow pheasant and duck hunting.
■ Travel: Federal air traffic controllers remain on the job, and airport screeners continue to funnel passengers through security checkpoints.
Furloughs of safety inspectors had put inspections of planes, pilots and aircraft-repair stations on hold, but the Federal Aviation Administration, or FAA, says it is asking 800 employees — including some safety inspectors — to return to work.
More than 2,900 inspectors had been furloughed.
The State Department continues processing foreign applications for visas and U.S. applications for passports, since fees are collected to finance those services.
■ Benefit payments: Social Security and Medicare benefits continue to be paid out, but there could be delays in processing new disability applications.
The Social Security Administration also is delaying the announcement of the size of next year’s cost-of-living adjustment, which was supposed to come out Wednesday.
Unemployment benefits also are still going out.
■ Consumer safety: Several protection agencies have curtailed work. The Nuclear Regulatory Commission shut down most operations Thursday. However, resident inspectors will remain on the job, and any immediate safety or security matters will be handled.
The Food and Drug Administration and CDC say they can handle recalls and high-risk foodborne outbreaks, but discovering them will be more difficult because many of the people who investigate outbreaks have been furloughed.
Routine food-safety inspections were suspended, so most food manufacturers won’t have to worry about periodic visits from government inspectors. U.S. food inspections abroad also have been halted.
The National Transportation Safety Board is not investigating most transportation accidents, making an exception only if officials believe lives or property are in danger.
Nor has the board collected information on or sent investigators to the scene of 20 accidents involving U.S.-manufactured aircraft that have occurred around the globe since Sept. 30. Auto recalls and investigations of safety defects have been put on hold.
The Consumer Product Safety Commission is no longer screening products at ports of entry to prevent potentially dangerous ones from reaching stores, such as children’s products containing excessive levels of lead.
■ Health: New patients are generally not being accepted into clinical research at the National Institutes of Health, or NIH, but current patients continue to receive care.
NIH has made exceptions to allow 12 patients with immediately life-threatening illnesses — mostly cancer — into studies at its renowned hospital.
The FDA has halted the review and approval of new medical products and drugs.
■ Taxes: The Internal Revenue Service says more than 12 million taxpayers who filed for automatic extensions in the spring have tax returns due Tuesday.
Those returns, the agency says, are still due, regardless of the shutdown.
The IRS suspended all audits and will not be processing any tax refunds during the shutdown. IRS call centers will not be staffed, though automated lines are still running.
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■ Military: The military’s 1.4 million active-duty personnel remain on duty.
About half of the Defense Department’s civilian employees were furloughed, but Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel ordered nearly all 350,000 back on the job.
Congress has ensured $100,000 payments to families of fallen service members would continue.
■ Veterans services: Veterans are still able to get inpatient care at hospitals and mental-health counseling at vet centers and outpatient clinics.
Access to regional VA offices has been suspended, making it harder for veterans to get information about benefits and the status of their claims.
