{"id":13875,"date":"2025-09-30T09:01:50","date_gmt":"2025-09-30T09:01:50","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/bluelightnews.com\/category\/politics\/how-capitol-hill-is-set-to-feel-the-government-shutdown-pain\/"},"modified":"2025-09-30T09:01:50","modified_gmt":"2025-09-30T09:01:50","slug":"how-capitol-hill-is-set-to-feel-the-government-shutdown-pain","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/bluelightnews.com\/category\/politics\/how-capitol-hill-is-set-to-feel-the-government-shutdown-pain\/","title":{"rendered":"How Capitol Hill is set to feel the government shutdown pain"},"content":{"rendered":"
\n

A government shutdown is looking increasingly likely, and Congress is set to experience the self-inflicted pain of the institution\u2019s inability to pass a spending bill to fund its own operations.<\/p>\n

During the last, partial shutdown, which began at the very end of 2018 and concluded 35 days later, a legislative branch appropriations bill had already been enacted, which allowed Capitol Hill to function without interruption.<\/p>\n

This time, none of the annual government funding measures have been signed into law. Those who worked in the Capitol complex under these same conditions in 2013, when the government was shuttered for 17 days, will recall extensive waits to enter office buildings, closed parking garages, skipped paychecks and tourists distraught over canceled tours.<\/p>\n

Thirteen years later, things will look a little bit different. House and Senate employees, for instance, are now guaranteed backpay under law, even if they may miss a paycheck during a shutdown. That could lead to fewer furloughs, with lawmakers more confident that their staffer will eventually be made whole. But the bathrooms around the complex will still go uncleaned and it could require a longer walk to grab a cup of coffee.<\/p>\n

Here\u2019s a guide of what to expect on Capitol Hill if federal funding lapses after midnight Wednesday.<\/p>\n

Who is \u2018essential\u2019<\/h5>\n

Unlike executive branch agencies that must follow guidance from the Office of Management and Budget regarding which workers are \u201cessential\u201d and which must be furloughed during a government shutdown, members of Congress can decide for themselves<\/a> how many of their staffers can continue to work.<\/p>\n

In the past \u2014 such as in the 2013 shutdown \u2014 many lawmakers deemed every staffer essential to keep them paid for the duration of a shutdown, while others went down to a skeleton crew. Since that time, a 2019 law was enacted guaranteeing backpay for all federal employees whether they worked or not during a shutdown, meaning staffing in House, Senate and Committee offices will likely be operating at full strength.<\/p>\n

Many staffers will feel the pinch<\/h5>\n

Just because every congressional aide will eventually get paid doesn\u2019t mean they won\u2019t feel the effects of a missing paycheck. A handful of staffers, given anonymity to candidly discuss personal finances, said they will be seeking assistance from family or other sources to pay their rent in the event of an extended shutdown.<\/p>\n

Furloughed employees will still get their health and life insurance benefits. The Congressional Federal Credit Union offers \u201cfurlough relief loans\u201d and Navy Federal Credit Union and USAA have similar policies for members. However, the student loan repayment assistance program offered by the House and Senate will halt operations during the shutdown.<\/p>\n

Limits on perks and side gigs<\/h5>\n

The House Ethics Committee typically puts out a call in advance of a shutdown warning members and staff that \u201cduring a lapse in appropriations, you remain subject to all ethics rules and regulations\u201d \u2014 that is, be careful not to accept gifts from anyone, even if you\u2019re strapped for cash. The Ethics panel specifically reminds aides there are rules against taking on ad hoc jobs with their bosses\u2019 campaigns while still employed with a congressional office.<\/p>\n

Staffers are also not allowed to collect unemployment benefits during a shutdown.<\/p>\n

No backpay for contractors<\/h5>\n

Scores of contract workers that run the eateries and other services on Capitol Hill \u2014 among the lowest-paid workers on the Capitol campus \u2014 will not receive backpay for wages lost during shutdown-related furloughs and closures. Food service workers, granted anonymity so speak candidly, said in interviews they were stressed this week about missing paychecks.<\/p>\n

Lawmakers can\u2019t refuse salaries<\/h5>\n

Members of Congress will get their paychecks because the Treasury Department is constitutionally obligated to send them. Some lawmakers don\u2019t like the optics of getting paid during a shutdown and put out statements insisting they are declining their compensation. Technically, however, all they can do is request their checks be held until the shutdown is resolved, or donate their salaries later to a cause of their choosing.<\/p>\n

Logistical woes<\/h5>\n

Capitol Police will maintain full staffing in order to continue prioritizing \u201clife safety\u201d operations but will likely adjust its numbers when stationing officers at the various doors around the House and Senate office buildings. That means staffers and visitors should brace for long security lines at a limited number of entry points.<\/p>\n

The Capitol Visitors Center will be closed and no tours \u2014 by the professional \u201cred coat\u201d guides or staff \u2014 will be permitted, although lawmakers will be allowed to take small groups around the complex.<\/p>\n

The House staff gym will be closed. The members\u2019 gym will be open, \u201cbut will not be staffed or cleaned.\u201d Custodial services will also be discontinued for the private bathrooms many members have in their office suites.<\/p>\n

Classic amenities like the barber shop and shoe shine station will also be closed. The in-house dry cleaner will \u201cremain open temporarily to allow for customers to pick up items\u201d but then, likewise, shutter.<\/p>\n

Where to eat in a shutdown<\/h5>\n

The Longworth House Office Building will be the food hub on the House side<\/a>, with both the cafeteria and Starbucks open \u2014 the cafeteria from 7:30 a.m. to 3 p.m., and Starbucks from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. The unstaffed convenience stories will remain open, but all other House eateries will be closed.<\/p>\n

Across the Capitol, Cups and Co. in the Russell Senate Office Building is also expected to stay open, but other guidance on Senate food options have not been finalized.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

A government shutdown is looking increasingly likely, and Congress is set to experience the self-inflicted pain of the institution\u2019s inability to pass a spending bill to fund its own operations. During the last, partial shutdown, which began at the very end of 2018 and concluded 35 days later, a legislative branch appropriations bill had already […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[3],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-13875","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-congress"],"amp_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/bluelightnews.com\/category\/politics\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/13875","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/bluelightnews.com\/category\/politics\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/bluelightnews.com\/category\/politics\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bluelightnews.com\/category\/politics\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bluelightnews.com\/category\/politics\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=13875"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/bluelightnews.com\/category\/politics\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/13875\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/bluelightnews.com\/category\/politics\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=13875"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bluelightnews.com\/category\/politics\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=13875"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bluelightnews.com\/category\/politics\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=13875"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}