What's Open, Closed During Government Shutdown: Post Office, CDC, National Parks

Monday marks day three of the government shutdown that began over the weekend when congress failed to pass a new spending budget by midnight Friday. The shutdown came at the end of a continuing resolution from Dec. 21, 2017 that kept the government funded for an extra month.

The House voted Friday night for the budget but when it went to the Senate it didn’t pass, CNN reported. The last time the government shutdown was in October 2013 and it lasted for more than two weeks.

In the event of a government shutdown, all non-essential functions of the federal government stop operating, while others operate at reduced capacity.

What’s open

The United States Postal Service - The USPS is working as usual, the service is independent of the government and does not rely on tax dollars so it will not be impacted by the shutdown, said a tweet.

Transportation Security Administration - The TSA is still operating in airports but the website for the administration says that due to the lack of funding, the website would not be updated regularly. The Twitter for the TSA was still running with usual hours to assist travelers with questions.

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention - The CDC is operating with a reduced staff. Some employees have been sent home on furlough but those deemed necessary are still working. Those working on tracking the flu season, that’s been gripping much of the country and has already caused dozens of deaths, are still working, Reuters reported. However, a notice on the CDC website said, “During the government shutdown, only websites supporting excepted functions will be updated. As a result, the information on this website may not be up to date and the agency may not be able to respond to inquiries.”

Social Security - Field offices that handle Social Security have limited office hours but Social Security checks, as well as Supplemental Security Income payments, are not affected by the shutdown. Replacement cards, proof of income letters and updates or corrections for earnings records will not be provided during the shutdown, according to the Social Security Administration.

Smithsonian Institutes - The Smithsonian institutes tweeted Monday that the museums, research center and the National Zoo were all still open during the shutdown because it has funds left over from 2017. It’s unclear how long these institutions would stay open for during the shutdown.

What’s closed

Various landmarks - The Liberty Bell at Independence Hall, is closed. Other landmarks in other states like the Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island were reopening Monday after New York state funded it, in Arizona, the Grand Canyon was still open thanks to funding from the state as well. However, more than 400 locations managed by the National park Service were expected to close due to the shutdown, according to the National Parks Conservation Association.

Research Agencies - Research funded by the federal government for agencies like NASA and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration is on hold for the time being while the government is shut down.