Californians are preparing for significant disruptions as the federal government shuts down.
Thousands of federal employees in the state could face furloughs or work without pay. According to CalMatters, about 150,000 federal workers in California, excluding military personnel, may be affected.
While Social Security and Medicare benefits are expected to continue, services like benefit verifications and earnings record updates could experience delays. Essential services such as Medicaid and Medicare payments will remain unaffected, but discretionary programs like food stamps might face challenges. LAist reports that the shutdown could disproportionately impact Native American communities relying on federally funded clinics.
National parks in California, such as Joshua Tree, could see closures or limited operations, echoing the issues faced during the 2018-2019 shutdown when unsupervised visitors caused significant damage. Conservation groups are urging for parks to remain closed to prevent similar incidents.
The shutdown is a result of a standoff between Democrats and Republicans over Medicaid cuts and Affordable Care Act subsidies. As KQED notes, the Office of Management and Budget has warned of mass layoffs for federal workers in non-priority programs if the shutdown occurs.
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