When the U.S. Congress can’t agree on a budget before federal funding expires, the government goes into shutdown mode, ceasing all operations deemed nonessential and furloughing hundreds of thousands of federal workers.
As you might have noticed, several key aspects of travel in the United States are overseen by the federal government, including airport security, passports, and national parks.
So then, how are travelers affected when Congress can’t get its act together?
What a Federal Government Shutdown Means for Air Travel
Transportation Security Administration officers will continue to screen passengers at airport checkpoints in the event of a government shutdown.
However, those workers will not receive their paychecks until Congress passes a budget. If the shutdown drags on, that obviously puts TSA workers in an economic bind, and some of them may stop coming in to work.
That’s what happened during the extended government shutdown that started in December 2018 and wasn’t resolved till late January 2019. At one point, the no-show rate among TSA screeners nationwide neared 10%, leading to understaffed security checkpoints. And you know the result for passengers: longer lines and wait times at airports.
That’s why it’s crucial, during a government shutdown, to arrive at the airport well in advance of your departure time—at least 2 hours before a domestic flight and 3 hours before an international one—to give yourself time to get through security.
And for heaven’s sake, be polite and gracious to the TSA employees you encounter. Remember that they’re working without pay.
The same goes, by the way, for air traffic controllers, according to the Washington Post. Deemed essential workers, controllers must continue conducting takeoffs and landings during a shutdown, but won’t get paid while Congress disputes and dithers.
Adding a financial pinch to the notoriously stressful work of controlling air traffic certainly doesn’t help relieve the ongoing shortage of workers carrying out this indispensable role.
What a Federal Government Shutdown Means for National Parks
According to the National Park Service’s contingency plan for a lapse in federal funding, national parks, monuments, and other sites operated by the federal agency will be closed during a government shutdown. (A closure sign at Florida’s Everglades National Park during the 2013 government shutdown is pictured at the top of this page.)
In most cases, national park sites will be completely shuttered, per the plan, though “areas that by their nature are physically accessible to the public will face significantly reduced visitor services.” In other words, you can still drive the Blue Ridge Parkway, but don’t expect to be able to use public restrooms along the way.
“Accordingly, the public will be encouraged not to visit National Park sites during the period of lapse in appropriations,” as the park service’s contingency plan sums it up.
In certain cases, national parks may remain open during a federal shutdown after securing temporary funding from state governments. Utah’s governor, for instance, promised that his state would pay to keep national parks open there ahead of 2024’s looming shutdown.
Similar state efforts kept some national parks operating during the 2018–19 federal shutdown. But states couldn’t afford to staff many of those sites properly, Newsweek reports, so trash piled up and bathrooms got gross. (Or more gross than usual.)
What a Federal Government Shutdown Means for Passports
The State Department’s consular services will continue to process passport and visa applications and renewals during a government shutdown.
There shouldn’t be significant delays, in part because, as the American Immigration Lawyers Association told NPR, visa and passport operations are funded by applicants’ fees and therefore “not normally impacted by a lapse in appropriations.”
Customs and Border Protection agents will continue to do their jobs as well.
The State Department warns that passport services will likely be suspended in any government buildings run by temporarily closed agencies.
But the U.S. Postal Service remains in operation during federal shutdowns if you need to mail in a passport application. And, as of earlier this year, you can renew a passport online.