Jim Clyburn’s SC-6 News Bulletin

A government shutdown will occur if Congress does not fund the federal government by this Saturday, September 30 at 11:59 pm EST. Although President Joe Biden and Speaker Kevin McCarthy agreed to government spending levels earlier this summer, some conservatives don’t want to honor the deal and are advocating for significant cuts to healthcare, education, food assistance and public safety funding.

A government shutdown will have serious ramifications, so I want to ensure you have the most current information on how it could impact you.

Social Security
Social Security will continue to operate and process disbursements. However, the Social Security Administration (SSA) will provide limited services, like issuing Social Security cards and holding appointments for benefit applications. SSA will stop services like benefit verifications and processing overpayments. Customer service wait times will dramatically increase.

Medicare and Medicaid
Current Medicare, Medicaid, and disability insurance beneficiaries will continue to receive their benefits assuming a shutdown lasts less than three months.

Veterans Benefits
Veterans Affairs Benefits, including pensions and disability checks, will continue to be processed and disbursed. Veterans Affairs (VA) medical facilities and clinics will remain operational. However, other services veterans count on will be impacted, including education and job training, support for veteran-owned businesses, and even assistance for homeless veterans.

Federal Employees
“Non-excepted” federal employees will be furloughed without pay until the government is funded, including 27,000 federal workers in South Carolina, according to the House Budget Committee minority staff.

“Excepted” federal employees, such as members of law enforcement, active-duty military, TSA, and national security personnel, will continue to work without pay until the government is funded. The House Budget Committee minority staff estimates that over 55,000 active duty and reserve military personnel in South Carolina would be forced to work without pay during a government shutdown.

Nutrition Programs
The Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) will run out of federal funding almost immediately during a government shutdown. However, the South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control (DHEC) expects that WIC recipients will receive benefits through October. In the event of a shutdown that lasts beyond October, WIC recipients in South Carolina are not likely to receive benefits through November.

According to the Biden-Harris Administration , nearly 95,000 women, children, and infants in South Carolina alone could be impacted.

The U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsak has stated that recipients of the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) should continue receiving benefits as normal for the month of October but could be impacted afterward. The House Budget Committee minority staff estimates that a prolonged government shutdown could affect almost 640,000 SNAP beneficiaries in South Carolina.

Head Start
Some Head Start programs in South Carolina could be affected. This will impact children, parents, caregivers, and Head Start workers.

Housing
Funding for federal housing assistance programs, such as Housing Choice Vouchers, may be jeopardized in a prolonged shutdown, but it should not be immediately affected. Likewise, a prolonged shutdown will impact the Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program, complicating central heating as temperatures begin to drop.

Small Businesses
For certain programs, such as the 7(a) and 504 programs, the Small Business Administration (SBA) will stop processing new business loans. However, SBA’s Disaster Loan Program will continue regular operations.

Farms
The Department of Agriculture would be forced to stop processing farm loans, which they estimate provide $56,314,000 in funding for farmers in South Carolina every year.

Travel and Disaster Relief
Air traffic controllers, TSA officers, and Custom and Border Protection (CBP) agents will remain working without pay. However, travelers may experience significant delays at airports due to likely increases in TSA staff absences.

Long-term disaster relief projects will be delayed or paused.

Mail Delivery and Passports
Post Offices and Postal Workers will continue to operate and deliver mail. Passport and consular services will continue but may be affected by a prolonged government shutdown.

During a shutdown, my office will remain open to assist you and answer your questions. Please know that our caseworkers’ ability to assist you with federal agencies may be limited due to many federal agency workers being furloughed. You can reach my Columbia, South Carolina, office by phone at 803-799-1100.

While I hope that cooler heads will prevail, I apologize for any disruptions you and your family may experience if a government shutdown occurs. I promise I’ll do everything in my power to end this shutdown and restore the functioning of the U.S. Government for you and the American people.

Columbia, SC Office
1225 Lady Street, Suite 200, Columbia, SC 29201
Phone: (803) 799-1100
Fax: (803) 799-9060