At midnight on September 30th, funding for the federal government expired. Each year, Congress must pass 12 appropriations bills to fully fund the government—one of our most important jobs. These appropriations bills provide funding for various government agencies and programs. As a member of the Appropriations Committee, I’ve worked to advance all 12 bills out of Committee. After that, they must be passed by both the House and Senate. If Congress doesn’t pass all 12 bills before the end of the fiscal year, we can pass a short-term funding extension called a Continuing Resolution (CR) to keep the government open. A CR gives Congress more time to find agreement between the House, Senate, and the White House on funding levels.

On September 19th, the House passed a CR to keep the government funded through November 21st. For the government to stay open, the Senate must pass it too. Unfortunately, Congressional Democrats refused to act responsibly and instead forced a shutdown—wasting taxpayer dollars, putting critical programs at risk, and hurting families across the country just to score political points.

During this time, my district and Washington, D.C. offices remain open to assist you or answer any questions you may have. If you’ve submitted casework or need help with a government agency, my district staff is available to help. Please note: some cases may be delayed due to the temporary pause in agency operations during a shutdown.

I understand that many people find this situation frustrating—I do too. As Congress continues to work toward a solution, I’ll continue keeping you updated.

• Our office will be open during regular business hours during the shutdown, and our casework team will be available to answer questions about your case.
• However, some agencies will not be able to process cases or communicate with congressional offices during a shutdown. Expect delays when dealing with any government agency during this time.

• Yes, Social Security checks and Medicare benefits will still go out during a shutdown. 
• Some processes like benefit verification or replacement of Medicare cards could be delayed.

• During a government shutdown, all VA medical facilities and clinics will remain fully operational.
• The VA will continue to process veterans’ benefits. 
• The VA suspends communications/support with congressional offices during a shutdown, therefore congressional offices will not be able to assist with veteran constituent casework

• You can still apply for or renew a passport during a government shutdown.
• A 4-6 week processing time is routine for passport applications, and a shutdown can lead to longer delays.
• If you are planning any international travel and need to renew your passport, it is recommended that you begin the process as soon as possible.

• SNAP benefits fall under mandatory spending by the federal government—meaning payments will continue even during a shutdown.
• If the shutdown exceeds past October 30^th there may be delays or disruptions in SNAP payments.

Trying to get an answer from a federal agency can often be a time-consuming and frustrating process. If you ever need help navigating a federal agency, you can visit my website here or call my Hanford office at (559) 460-6070. My team is ready to assist you!

Tratar de obtener una respuesta de una agencia federal a menudo puede ser un proceso frustrante y que requiere mucho tiempo. Si alguna vez necesita ayuda con una agencia federal, puede visitar mi sitio de web aquí o llamar a mi oficina de Hanford al (559) 460-6070. ¡Mi equipo está listo para ayudarte!

Do you have a question about my position on an issue? How the Congress operates? My thoughts on the news of the day?

Send your first name, town, and question to AskDavid@mail.house.gov and I might answer yours right here in one of my weekly newsletters. Make sure to subscribe to my weekly email updates to see if your question was answered!

If you want to share your opinion with me on issues of importance, you can always contact me on my website.

Did you know you can now sign up for texts from my office to stay up to date on my work in Washington D.C.? To sign up to receive updates from me directly to your phone, just text VALADAO to (559) 387-4346 and you will be automatically subscribed. You can also sign up for text alerts using this form here.  

I'll be using this newsletter as a way to keep you updated on my work in Congress. Make sure to sign up for regular updates and follow my Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram to keep up with my work.