Key points:
- Gov. Kelly Ayotte says state operations can withstand a shutdown that lasts 30 days or less.
- Food assistance benefits are scheduled through October, but a longer shutdown could affect future benefits. Advocates say school meal programs are typically unaffected by shutdowns.
- Federal heating aid (LIHEAP) should continue uninterrupted into December, based on projections from state officials.
- The White Mountain National Forest will remain open, but some say earlier staff cuts are hampering critical activities. Firefighting and disaster response activities will also continue, according to federal officials.
- It's not yet clear how much of New Hampshire's federal workforce could be furloughed or face other interruptions due to the shutdown.
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With the federal government now in a shutdown, the more than 5,000 federal employees in New Hampshire are girding for furloughs or delayed paychecks.
New Hampshire’s federal workforce ranges across the state and across industries: the Portsmouth Naval Shipyard, the Manchester VA Medical Center, the White Mountain National Forest, the Berlin federal prison, the passport processing center at Pease and at other federal agencies.
How the shutdown might affect them isn't entirely clear. Workers deemed "essential" will keep working through the shutdown without immediate pay. Non-essential workers will likely face furloughs.
On Wednesday, officials said the White Mountain National Forest will remain open to visitors despite the government shutdown.
A spokesperson from the U.S. Department of Agriculture says wildland firefighting and disaster response on public lands will also continue.
But things could change depending on how long a shutdown lasts.
Amy Lindholm, with the Appalachian Mountain Club, says this shutdown comes after major staff cuts at the Forest Service and Park Service. Those have impacted projects her organization works on, like scientific research and trail maintenance on public lands.
"All of those functions are significantly slowed down, or some functions have just been ending because of the loss of staff expertise," she said.
According to furlough guidance from federal officials, hundreds of remote recreation sites could be closed across the country and timber sales or restoration projects may be paused on a case-by-case basis.
A lingering shutdown could carry hardship for people who depend on federal assistance programs including the Head Start program, the Special Nutrition Assistance Program, and LIHEAP, which provides assistance for home heating costs for low-income residents.
Food insecurity is high right now in the state, and the federal government already made cuts to aid programs over the summer. Impacts to future food aid will depend on the length of the government shutdown.
Laura Milliken, who leads NH Hunger Solutions, said more than 75,000 people in New Hampshire use SNAP, commonly referred to as food stamps.
"If it's a short shutdown, then it should not affect SNAP benefits," she said. "Benefits are already scheduled to go out in October. But if it's a longer shutdown, it could affect the November benefits."
Milliken said school meal programs are typically unaffected by government shutdowns.
In a statement Tuesday, Gov. Kelly Ayotte said state agency heads have assured her that New Hampshire government operations should continue as normal as long as any federal shutdown lasts 30 days or less.
“Our state is prepared in the event of a federal government shutdown and expects minimal impact on services for Granite Staters in the short-term,” Ayotte said. “State agency heads have assured us that within the next 30 days, operations will continue as normal."
She said federally funded programs administered by the state — including food aid programs, and LIHEAP — will not be affected in the event of a short-term shutdown, and that state parks will remain open. On Wednesday, the state's energy commissioner said New Hampshire has enough money on hand to provide federally-funded home heating aid through LIHEAP into December.
Ayotte joined other Republican governors earlier this week in urging Congress to endorse a budget extension backed by GOP leaders on Capitol Hill.
Her office declined to answer questions about how the shutdown might affect the state's ability to make payroll if it were to last longer than a month.
Members of New Hampshire’s Democratic congressional delegation sought to place preemptive blame for a shutdown on Republicans.
Speaking on CNN, Sen. Jeanne Shaheen said President Trump could make a deal happen and should work across the aisle to do it.
“This is the greatest country in the world,” Shaheen said. “The only thing that is keeping us from achieving these things is partisanship, and it’s time to end that, and the president has a responsibility.”
Shaheen and other Democrats want any budget extension to include tax subsidies to help people pay for health care coverage on the insurance marketplace.
(Reporting from NHPR's Kate Dario was included in this story.)
