How the looming shutdown will impact government agencies and programs

Geoff Bennett:

Two major stories from Capitol Hill tonight. Congress has lost one of its longest-serving members, California Senator Dianne Feinstein. We will look back on her life and career.

Amna Nawaz:

But, first, House Republicans' highly partisan government funding plan has imploded on the chamber floor, leaving the country on the cusp of a shutdown.

Congressional correspondent Lisa Desjardins is tracking the political drama and the probable real-world consequences and joins us now.

Lisa, it's good to see you.

So, Kevin McCarthy's temporary funding bill failed earlier today. House Republicans just finished a meeting. So, bring us up to speed. Where do we stand right now?

Lisa Desjardins:

Amna, you know I like to use weather as a way to describe the patterns happening in the U.S. Congress.

Right now, this storm that we have seen approaching on the horizon is starting to hit. And, by that, I mean, as you say, earlier today, the House failed to pass that Republican temporary spending bill, and failed by quite a lot of votes, more than Republicans expected; 21 Republicans jumped ship on that.

So, now Kevin McCarthy has been talking to his Republicans, trying to see if they can come up with some kind of alternate plan. And my reporting at this moment is, they haven't come up with an alternate plan, this after a morning where McCarthy took our questions, and he said he himself would reject the plan, the bipartisan plan, moving through the Senate.

Here's what he told us.

Rep. Kevin McCarthy (R-CA):

Would you sit here and ask me the question, why don't I surrender and just go with the Senate and ignore the problem? Is that the question you would ask?

I pledged in taking this job to change Washington, to stand up for the American public.

Lisa Desjardins:

And here's why we played that sound bite.

McCarthy is trying to say that he is standing up for more spending cuts, a tighter fiscal plan, border security, those kinds of things. That's the message he's putting out there.

But we also know, Amna, that Republicans actually don't have a plan that does any of those things that they can agree on, much less one that can get the Democratic support needed in the U.S. Senate. We do not expect any more votes tonight, and we are waiting to see what Kevin McCarthy does next.

Amna Nawaz:

A clearly frustrated Speaker McCarthy there.

Well, Lisa, with this shutdown looking increasingly imminent now, let's just talk about what a shutdown would mean, right? So, just in general, remind us what would happen.

Lisa Desjardins:

This is where we're at right now. We don't like to scare viewers unnecessarily, and we're going to be even-measured about what we're facing here. Let's talk about it.

First of all, government shutdown right now is set to begin on Sunday, 12:01 a.m. Most federal agencies would feel this shutdown. This means that essential workers would stay on the job, but other workers not deemed essential would be furloughed. They would stay home.

Now, that puts pay at risk for some six million federal workers and federal contractors together. All in all, there are some agencies and programs that will continue. Social Security, Medicare, they are automatically funded.

Those programs, if you have benefits through them, will continue to get those benefits. However, there could be things like, if you want to apply for Social Security now, that itself could be on hold. Each agency will be affected differently, but I think we will see wide ripple effects around the country, different localities affecting different things, and it will take time.

Some paychecks are being given out today. That means, in two weeks, there could be a missing paycheck if we are still shut down at that point.

Amna Nawaz:

Lisa, you have been looking into potential specific impact on some really big programs that millions of people rely on, among them, the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, for Women, Infants, and Children, known as WIC.

What would a shutdown mean for that?

Lisa Desjardins:

We want to talk about the most vulnerable and the ones who might be the most affected.

WIC, that is a program for low-income mothers and small children. Let's talk about it right now. About seven million Americans, women, and children use that program. Now, shutdown effects vary, because each state funds it a little bit differently in a formula with federal money, but some could, in fact, lose their benefits as soon as next week.

When they go to buy milk, formula, the money might not be there. In other places, people could be unaffected. And that is one of the problems of the shutdown. It is confusing and also creates a lot of difficulty for people to figure out where they stand.

Amna Nawaz:

It is confusing.

I know you have also been looking into another program people know about called Meals on Wheels. How would that be affected in a shutdown?

Lisa Desjardins:

That's right.

And, to go back, I should have also said, we spoke to some of the people who are recipients of WIC. And here's what they said. Here's their concerns right now.

Jessica Johnson, WIC Recipient:

Easily, we go through like four or five gallons a month, cereal, oatmeal, coffee, all that stuff. So, losing that and the fresh food benefits means we get about $20 in — $20 a month for fresh food and vegetables or frozen vegetables.

And we use that for everything. If we lose WIC benefits, we will definitely eat less fresh foods, because they're so expensive.

Lisa Desjardins:

So, a serious situation there.

And on Meals on Wheels, similar. How big is that program? — 2.2 million seniors around this country use Meals on Wheels annually. Now that program, about a third of it is federally funded, but, even so, because that money is so important, it could in fact mean fewer meals, in some cases, no meals, depending on the situation in each locality.

And, again, talk to some people who are really thinking about this and potentially feeling it. Here's what those have to say.

Patti Lyons, Board Chairwoman, Meals on Wheels America: It'll be catastrophic. We know that good nutrition, this breaking of the isolation really reduces the number of people that go into the hospital. They're able to stay at home.

And we can feed somebody for an entire year for what it costs for one day in the hospital. So we're going to pay as a country. But, most importantly, our older adults are going to pay with their health.

Lisa Desjardins:

Older adults, women and children just some of the groups now really concerned about this shutdown expected to start on Sunday.

Amna Nawaz:

So, Lisa, the deadline is midnight on Saturday, September 30, to reach a deal. What happens next?

Lisa Desjardins:

Right.

We are waiting for Speaker Kevin McCarthy to decide what he wants the House to do. We expect some kind of vote tomorrow in the House, but we really don't know what could pass over there.

Meanwhile, the Senate is expected to vote on something there, also discussions about whether that includes border security or not. At this moment, like I say, the winds are blowing in cross directions here in Congress at a moment where you really think the country needs to move forward.

Instead, there really seems to be a lot of confusion. Hopefully, tomorrow will tell us more about the direction ahead. But, right now, I'm Amna, from where I stand, I really don't see a way out of this shutdown in this moment.

One other note though, lawmakers, they will automatically be paid. That has to do with the Constitution. They can opt to put their pay on hold. I asked Speaker Kevin McCarthy if he will do that, and he said he would. He said he will not be paid if the shutdown hits.

Amna Nawaz:

Congressional correspondent Lisa Desjardins covering the latest for us on Capitol Hill.

Lisa, thank you.

Lisa Desjardins:

You're welcome.