Federal Government Shutdown 2011 : Possible Effects Of A Shutdown

With the government looking like it's heading toward a shutdown as Friday approaches , many is wondering what exactly a shutdown would mean to them .

                                                   Lost Money

The last shutdown costs taxpayers $800,000 milliom including $400 million in wages  to federal workers who did not report to work ... non-essential workers were furloughed without pay for five days,

                                                    Social Security

A shutdown could delay social security and social security card issuing . The last time the government shudown 800,000 toll-free calls went unanswered.

                                                    Medicare

A shutdown would delay newly eligible recipients from applying .

                                             Police and Public Safety

The 1995-1996 shutdown cause delays in case processing , recruitment , testing and hiring  and reportedly suspended cases involing bankruptcy  and child support .

                                                 Environment

A shutdown would result in the stoppage of many government programs involving the environment . During the last shutdown toxic waste clean-up was suspended.

                                             National Parks / Museums

A government shutdown will cause national parks to close  , turning away millions of visitors and result in a loss of revenue  ...in addition federally funded  museuns would also close as a result of the shutdown .

                                                Passports / Travel

If the government shuts down passport and visa applications will be delayed with a detrimental impack on the U.S. tourist and airlines industries.

                                                  Veterans Services

Veterans services  including health and welfare programs to finance could be cut short in the event of a shutdown.

                                                   Government Loans

While the exact impact is unclear , a government shutdown could result in the delay of FHA mortgage loans  that low-and-moderate-in come families often depend on .

Government Shutdown Threat: Budget Remains Unreached

Washington D.C. ... Washington is hustling toward a government shutdown on Friday night as the time to agree on a budget for the remainder of the fiscal year grows very short.

Because of the Senate rules , Democrats could be forced to break two GOP filibusters in order to  pass a spending bill , and each vote requires a 30-hour delay . Goverment funding expires on Friday night , meaning that if negotiations don't reach a deal by the end of today  or early tomorrow , just one Republican senator could stall the vote until the deadline arrives .

If the talks Wednesday between House Republicans  and the White House are any guide  , the two parties are a long way from a deal . House Republicans  emerged from the White House telling reporters that they are  committed to finding a solution to the impasse , but were unwilling to do it unless the White House  and Senate Democrats agree to cuts beyond the $33 billion level that had previously been floated .

"The speaker told the President  that the house will not be put in a box  and forced to choose between two options that are bad for the country ( accepting a bad deal that fails to make real spending cuts , or accepting a government shutdown due to Senate inactions)" a summary of the meeting provided to reporters by House Republican leadership read :

The House has indeed proposed  a one-week spending bill that could cut government spending by $12 billion while funding the  military through the end of September  , when the fiscal year ends . House Democrats quickly rejected the offer . House Minority Whip Steny Hoyer (D-Md) told reporters it's our time to put an end to the "sporadic , episodic" stop gap bills and reach a final agreement . He said that Democrats would whip up opposition to the House bill if it is brought to the floor.

House Republicans aren't willing to take yes for an answer  , Hoyer said , and was demanding for more than they are entitled by their partial control of the government , noting that Democrats control the Senate and the White House . "You would think if you're going to reach a compromise  , we get two , they get one," he said . "It appears that one side doesn't want to compromise.