As Americans ramp up for a week of hectic holiday travel, a government shutdown continues to loom after a bipartisan agreement reached by Congress failed to pass following conservative fallout.
The original plan reached Tuesday would have funded government agencies through at least March but was rejected by President-elect Donald Trump, who encouraged allies to follow suit. Ultimately, a Republican-backed deal to avoid the shutdown was rebuffed Thursday by dozens of conservative and Democratic lawmakers.
With the Friday evening deadline fast approaching, some government agencies may soon feel the effects of the stalemate as the holiday rush continues. A question at the top of many minds: How will travel plans be impacted, if at all?
Luckily, it’s looking like most modes of travel, including flights and cruises, should not be disturbed. This includes train travel via Amtrak.
Here’s what to know about traveling with Amtrak should the shutdown come to pass.
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What travelers should know:Would a government shutdown affect flights, cruises?
No, Amtrak train services are not impacted by a government shutdown.
The National Railroad Passenger Corporation (Amtrak) does not shut down, cease operations or stop transporting passengers during any federal lapse in appropriation, according to the Office of the Inspector General (OIG).
Because Amtrak is funded through operational revenue and federal grants, it does not face money issues during a shutdown. Amtrak is also not considered a department, agency or instrumentality of the United States Government and its overseeing regulatory body, the OIG, remains open during shutdowns as well.
It is possible that an extended shutdown could impact service if it lasts long enough, as Amtrak eventually may run low on cash. Even in this case, it would be very unlikely for the rail service to shut down – instead, passengers would be more likely to see lighter staffing, more limited routes, delays or a pause on unnecessary services, according to the Employment Security Commission.
Each fiscal year, Congress appropriates funds for federal agencies to operate. When a signed appropriation or a continuing resolution is not present, the affected federal agencies must shut down or stop normal spending, according to the United States Office of Personnel Management (OPM).
Current funding expires on Friday night when Congress hopes to adjourn for the holidays.
The federal government has closed down 21 times since 1977 for a total of 163 days. That’s an average of nearly eight days per shutdown.
The president with the highest number of shutdown days is Jimmy Carter with 56 days across five separate shutdowns from 1977 to 1979.
The longest consecutive shutdown took place under President Donald Trump when about 800,000 federal employees went without pay for 35 days from December 2018 to January 2019. Another, three-day shutdown in 2018 brought the total to 38 days under Trump’s last presidency.
The shutdown should not significantly impact cruises, flights and other forms of travel.
Funding to agencies like the Federal Aviation Administration, Transportation Security Administration and Customs and Border Protection would be on hold. However, the agents who you typically interact with at airports and seaports, and the controllers who oversee your flights are considered essential and will be working without pay during the shutdown.
There could be economic repercussions, though. A government shutdown is estimated to cost the country’s travel economy as much as $140 million per day, according to an estimate from the U.S. Travel Association.
Contributing: Zach Wichter, Nathan Diller, Ahjané Forbes, Saman Shafiq, USA TODAY
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