Congress is actively working on an agreement to avoid a government shutdown before the Oct. 1 deadline. (Photo: Daniel Lobo)
On Friday during a scheduled VA press conference, Secretary Denis McDonough was asked if a government shutdown would adversely affect Veterans benefits and other VA services if Congress could not avert the potential crisis.
McDonough first noted that the VA has been preparing a potential government shutdown — an increasingly common occurrence — but that “there would be no impact on Veteran health care. Burials would continue at VA national cemeteries. VA would continue to process and deliver benefits to Veterans, including compensation, pension, education, and housing benefits. And the board would continue to process appeals.”
However, McDonough also noted that some services would likely come to a halt until the shutdown ended. Regional public-facing offices would be closed for the duration of the shutdown. Outreach programs, such as those meant to connect Veterans in need with relevant benefits like housing or food security assistance, would be halted. Additionally, “many regular operations like career counseling, transition assistance, and cemetery grounds maintenance would not be available.”
As of Wednesday morning, Congress has not reached an agreement that would avoid a shutdown ahead of the Oct. 1 deadline.
While most VA benefits are not expected to be impacted, other benefits that Veterans may take advantage of may temporarily be affected. For example, families that rely on nutrition assistance from WIC or SNAP as well as Head Start programs for preschool may see their benefits halted through the shutdown. Non-essential federal workers would be furloughed without pay while essential federal workers would be required to continue working and then receive backpay once the shutdown ends.
The California Legionnaire will update this article if an agreement is reached in Congress before the deadline.
Author: Christian Southards
Coming from a family with a proud military background and wanting to contribute his writing skills to a worthy cause, Christian began writing for the California American Legion in August of 2020. His father is a 25-year Army Veteran and his grandfather served in the Navy during Vietnam.