{"database": "press", "table": "releases", "rows": [["https://web.archive.org/web/20140221103448/http://heck.house.gov/press-release/operations-and-protocols-federal-government-shutdown", "Operations and Protocols for Federal Government Shutdown", "2013-10-01", "2013", "2013-10", "Republican", "House", "NV", "Joe Heck", "H001055", "web.archive.org", null, null, "legacy", "Due to an ongoing budget stalemate between Congress and the Obama Administration, at 12:01 a.m. Tuesday October 1, 2013 the U.S. federal government shut down. Until a compromise solution is approved by Congress and signed by the President into law, the shutdown will remain in effect.\nFor the duration of the shutdown, my Congressional offices will remain open. However, many federal government departments and functions will not be available during the shutdown. For answers on many routine services and common questions, please consult the Frequently Asked Questions below:\nFREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS \u2013 GOVERNMENT SHUTDOWN\nWill my Social Security checks be issued?  \n\t\u2022Social Security payments should continue to current beneficiaries.\u00a0 New applicants and those who have recently submitted a change of address/direct deposit slip, or other changes may be affected.\nWill I still receive Medicare and Medicaid benefits?  \n\t\u2022According to the Congressional Research Service (CRS), current Medicare and Medicaid beneficiaries and providers should not be affected by a government shutdown.\u00a0 Medicare has 30 days to pay providers and payments.\u00a0 For new enrollees, they will likely not be processed or able to enroll in Medicare.\u00a0 Since Medicaid is a state-run program, and the funds are paid in advance to the states by the federal government, new enrollment would likely continue.\u00a0 CRS did detail that the agencies have considerable discretion when it comes to how it will continue to run.\nWill my medical services provided through the VA be affected?  \n\t\u2022No. The VA\u2019s medical services, medical facilities, and medical support & compliance accounts will not have a disruption in their services. However, other services including VA call centers and hotlines, decisions on claims appeals or motions by the Board of Veterans Appeals, recruiting and hiring of veteran job applicants, VA Secretary correspondences with veterans and VSOs, and outreach and public awareness activities will be impacted.\nWill my passport or visa application be affected?  \n\t\u2022Yes. The processing of passports and visa applications will stop until the federal government reopens.\nWill the postal service still deliver mail?  \n\t\u2022Mail services will still continue as normal.\nWill military personnel be paid?  \n\t\u2022Yes. Congress approved and President Obama signed into law an order that ensures active duty military and select \"essential\" civilian personnel are paid on-time despite the shutdown. The 1998 guidance on a shutdown directs that \"All military personnel shall continue to report for duty.\" Not all units will continue to operate, however, and military personnel may be assigned to other than their regular duties.\nWill security operations at airports, nuclear facilities, U.S. borders and military installations continue?  \n\t\u2022Yes, essential security and monitoring personnel will continue to perform their duties, including law enforcement/security personnel, air traffic controllers etc. Additionally, personnel at the National Weather Service who perform essential services dealing with public safety such as warning forecasts for severe weather, fire weather services, ongoing flood monitoring etc., will be maintained.\nWill the public have access to federal buildings/properties?  \n\t\u2022Generally-speaking, all federal properties will be closed to the public and non-essential personal.\u00a0 Essential maintenance and security services will continue.\u00a0 This will mean closures of courthouses (yet courts and other essential offices will be open only for emergencies) and other government properties to the public.\nWill National Parks in southern Nevada be open.  \n\t* No. During a government shutdown parks like Lake Mead National Recreation Area and Red Rock Canyon National Conservation Area will be closed.\nOur family is planning on visiting Washington, D.C. next week. Will your office be able to help us with tours? Will Smithsonian museums be open?  \n\t\u2022No. Unfortunately, the Capitol Visitor Center, all federal museums and federal buildings will be closed. Once the federal government shutdown ends, my office will again be able to assist with scheduling tours.\nWill government websites have current information despite the federal shutdown?  \n\t\u2022No. As federal departments and agencies will be shutdown, information available on their respective websites will not be the most current available. Individuals needing information are encouraged to call 1-800-FED-INFO (1-800-333-4636) where information specialists are available Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. EST to answer questions. This call center will be open despite the shutdown.\nHow long will the government shutdown last?  \n\t\u2022Until there is a budget solution passed by Congress and signed by the President. For perspective, the last federal government shutdowns were in 1995 & 1996 during the Clinton Administration. At that time, there were two separate shutdowns: 5 days (from November 14 through November 19, 1995) and 21 days (from December 16, 1995, to January 6, 1996).", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"]], "columns": ["url", "title", "date", "year", "month", "party", "chamber", "state", "member_name", "bioguide_id", "domain", "scraper", "source", "date_source", "text", "has_text", "collected_at", "updated_at"], "primary_keys": ["url"], "primary_key_values": ["https://web.archive.org/web/20140221103448/http://heck.house.gov/press-release/operations-and-protocols-federal-government-shutdown"], "units": {}, "query_ms": 0.9370818734169006, "source": "dwillis/congress-press", "source_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press", "license": "MIT", "license_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press/blob/main/LICENSE"}