How does the government shutdown impact you? Latest on closures, agencies
It’s business as usual for much of Washington, despite an ongoing partial government shutdown on Feb 2.
Yes, some federal agencies including the Pentagon and the Health and Human Services Department – left without regular funding – were ordered to begin an “orderly shutdown” for at least a few days beginning Jan. 31. That’s because Congress failed to pass a spending package that included a contentious measure to fund the Department of Homeland Security.
But other government operations remain open as usual. This means Americans start the week facing a patchwork of functioning government as lawmakers stare down legislation that would fund services through September.
No one knows precisely how long the shutdown will last. House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-Louisiana, said in an interview he’s sure he has enough Republican votes to reopen the government “by Tuesday.” To reopen, the House must pass legislation that extends spending for the DHS − which oversees Immigration and Customs Enforcement and Customs and Border Protection − for two weeks while lawmakers continue to negotiate over ICE reforms demanded by Democrats.
“Our intention is, by Tuesday, to fund all agencies of the federal government except for that one,” Johnson said, referring to DHS. “And then we’ll have two weeks of good-faith negotiations to figure it out.”
Here’s how the partial closure is affecting Americans in the meantime.
National parks, Social Security, SNAP: The varied map of partial closures
Mandatory spending that is not subject to annual appropriations, including Social Security, Medicare, and Medicaid, does not close during a partial shutdown, according to the Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget. National parks and food inspection services are running as normal, too, the CRFB says.
But the partial closure does mean certain federal operations are stopped or scaled back to ensure only essential work is happening.
Guidance from the Department of Education says investigations into civil rights complaints will be paused. The Health and Human Services Department says it will not be able to process public information requests, and the National Institutes of Health will not admit new patients in clinical research trials. But it said the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention would continue monitoring for outbreaks.
The shutdown can also impact assistance that helps Americans from going hungry. The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) and the Women, Infants and Children program, which were threatened during the fall 2025 shutdown, remain open. But this resource could be affected if the shutdown persists.
“There are some short-term funds that are available to them, but a prolonged shutdown would likely affect benefits for those programs,” Caleb Quakenbush, associate director of the Bipartisan Policy Center’s economic program, told USA TODAY during the fall shutdown.
Americans are still reeling with winter weather
The shutdown comes while a number of U.S. cities are still coping with the aftermath of severe winter storms last month. The Federal Emergency Management Agency, which is under DHS, one of the agencies up for reappropriation this year.
FEMA’s Disaster Relief Fund has enough money to last a few weeks, supporting states’ winter storm responses after extreme snowfall and cold temperatures left tens of thousands without power and closed roads. But a prolonged shutdown could strain the Disaster Relief Fund, especially if others natural disasters hit and more states request help.
Check your flight status
You’re likely OK to fly. Federal Aviation Administration and Transportation Security Administration employees, who perform essential functions related to flight safety, continue to work during a shutdown.
Still, the longer a shutdown lasts, the higher the strain on the air traffic system. During the 2025 shutdown, the Department of Transportation ordered airlines to reduce their flight schedules by up to 10%, helping ease the workload on overtaxed and understaffed air traffic control towers, which led to days of headaches for travelers.
If anything delays or cancels your flight for now, it may likely be due to continued severe winter weather hampering airport operations.
It’s not yet clear when, how, or whether flights will be affected by the latest shutdown. USA TODAY reached out to the Department of Transportation for additional information.
ICE is still at work
Political divisions over President Donald Trump‘s continued immigration enforcement are driving this shutdown. Many Democrats have laid out demands for reforms at DHS, which Congress is expected to hash out in coming weeks.
Immigration enforcement officers, as well as prison staff and active-duty members of the military are among the federal employees expected to continue working. They’ll get backpay but will not receive an immediate paycheck for working through the closure.
Don’t pause your tax plans
The IRS says it will continue operating for five business days by using funds it was granted through the Inflation Reduction Act.
Tax refunds can be impacted, but don’t avoid filing: The April 15 tax submission deadline does not change in the event of a government shutdown unless explicitly stated otherwise.
Contributing: Kathryn Palmer, Zach Wichter, Francesca Chambers
