Hitting Close to Home: What Happens if the Federal Government Partially Shuts Down?
If federal lawmakers don't come to a budget agreement by deadline, some questions you need to ask.
Republican and Democratic lawmakers will -- eventually -- make a budget deal. But what could happen in the meantime? To judge by the last time, when the government closed down in 1995-1996: essential work goes on, but 'non-essential' does not. Since that overview is a little ambiguous, Patch explored possible impact on what you might need or want to do after the midnight Friday deadline. Q: Will my Congressmember's office be open and taking phone calls or emails to let them know how I feel about this? A: Still to be determined, but probably not. According to U.S. Sen. John Kerry's press secretary Whitney Smith, if the government shuts down, the question remains as to which staffers are considered "essential" and "non-essential;" Smith says…
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