Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez - Newsletter: Government Shutdown

 

Newsletter: Government Shutdown

To our neighbors in NY-14,

We are currently anticipating that the federal government will shut down on Sunday, October 1, 2023.  While the Biden administration and House and Senate leadership reached a budget deal earlier this Summer, some conservative members will no longer vote in support of the deal (more).  Unless an agreement is reached, the federal government will run out of funding at the end of this week. 

What does that mean for you? If you require our office’s assistance, please reach out before September 30.  Many federal agencies will be forced to furlough staff, which will slow response times and, in some cases, may suspend their services all together.  This may include but is not limited to passport appointments, assistance with Social Security, Medicaid, IRS as well as Veterans Affairs.  You can reach our office by email or phone - 718-662-5970. You can also find our office hours and locations on our website.  

If the government does shut down, our casework team will continue to work without pay, in order to respond to urgent cases. We appreciate your patience and kindness as our team navigates this difficult time. 

Here is a list of some federal services that we expect may be impacted....

• Servicemembers and Law Enforcement Officers Will Work Without Pay: All active-duty military personnel and many law enforcement officers would remain at work, but receive no pay until funds are available. 

• Kids May Lose Access to Head Start: Thousands of children across the country may lose access to Head Start, as the Department of Health and Human Services wouldn’t be able to award Head Start Grants during a shutdown.  

• Travelers May Face Significant Delays: Air traffic controllers and TSA Officers are expected to work without pay—potentially leading to significant delays and longer wait times for travelers at airports across the country like there were during previous shutdowns. 

• Small Businesses Will Not Get New Loans from the SBA: The Small Business Administration will not accept, review, or approve any new business loans, in the event of a shut down. 

• Immigrants May See Their Court Hearings Canceled: Approximately 60,000 immigration court hearings for non-detained respondents were canceled during the last government shutdown.

We deeply regret that the shut down will have severe impacts on some of our constituents' lives. We will do everything in our power to help you during this difficult time and to help bring the government shut down to a close.

In service, 

The Office of Representative Ocasio-Cortez