• This shutdown feels different.’ States might not get repaid when government reopens.

Going without federal reimbursement for shutdown costs could force states to cut their own budget priorities.

By:Kevin Hardy-October 9, 20255:00 am – https://stateline.org

 A man closes the entrance to Fort McHenry National Monument and Historic Shrine on Oct. 3 in Baltimore because of the federal government shutdown. States are currently covering costs of some federal programs, but it’s unclear whether they will be repaid once the government reopens. (Photo by Andrew Harnik/Getty Images)

States are doing what they generally do during a federal government shutdown: continuing to operate programs serving some of the neediest people.

That means schools are still serving federally subsidized meals and states are distributing funding for the federal food stamp program. For now.

If the shutdown drags on and federal dollars run out, states can only keep programs going for so long. States may choose to pay for some services themselves so residents keep their benefits.

But this time, state leaders have new worries about getting reimbursed for federal costs once the federal spending impasse is resolved. That’s traditionally been the practice following a shutdown, but the Trump administration’s record of pulling funding and targeting Democratic-led states has some officials worried about what comes after the shutdown.

Many states already struggled to balance their own budgets this year. And some fear going without federal reimbursement for shutdown costs could force states to make painful cuts to their own budget priorities.

https://stateline.org/2025/09/16/trump-has-crushed-offshore-wind-plans-but-states-havent-quite-given-up-hope/embed/#?secret=vDEq8ZSYcA#?secret=xQRnyCS1Td

Nevada State Treasurer Zach Conine, a Democrat, said the administration has not made good on its word to states in recent months — freezing some congressionally approved funding and cutting already awarded grants. So it’s likewise unclear whether the federal government will follow previous practice and reimburse states for covering shutdown costs of crucial federal programs such as food assistance.

“I think everything is a risk with this administration. … We in the states are kind of left holding the bag yet again as the federal government tries to sort out what it wants to be when it grows up,” he told Stateline.

Nevada entered the shutdown with more than $1.2 billion in reserves. Last week, Republican Gov. Joe Lombardo’s office said in a statement that state funds would be adequate to cover “a short period of time with minimal disruption to services.”

But the governor’s office said a shutdown of more than 30 days would cause more significant challenges for the state.

Lombardo’s office did not respond to Stateline’s questions. But last week, it released a three-page document on the shutdown, saying it expected the federal government to reimburse states once the budget stalemate is resolved.

While Donald Trump is waltzing around touting plans for an eloborate ballroom to match Versailles palace; thousands of Americans are on the brink of financial ruin and starvation.

USA Today – retrieved Internet 10/27/25: It’s now the second longest shutdown in history, and risks becoming the longest if it lasts until Election Day on Nov. 4. The longest shutdown ever lasted 35 days, from December 2018 to January 2019, during Trump’s first term.

More than 700,000 federal workers have been furloughed, while nearly as many workers are working without pay. Employees deemed essential to public safety, including military personnel, law enforcement officers, border patrol and air traffic controllers, are required to work regardless.

Will I still receive my Social Security check?

Yes, Social Security payments, including Supplemental Security Income and benefits for retirement, disability and survivors, continue during a government shutdown.

Because Social Security benefit programs are considered mandatory spending by law, they are not impacted by the lapse in funding appropriations. Payments are still distributed on a regular schedule during the shutdown.

Social Security offices are still open during the shutdown, but only some services are available.

States issue warning about heating concerns

Winter is certainly coming, but there’s no clear path yet to ending the government shutdown. In the meantime, states are sending out an SOS to keep millions of Americans from freezing soon.

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The National Energy Assistance Directors Association, representing state directors of the Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program, said last week it’s urging electric and gas utilities nationwide to immediately suspend service disconnections for nonpayment until federal LIHEAP funds are released and households regain access to financial assistance.

The shutdown, which began Oct. 1 and is on pace to become the longest government shutdown in U.S. history, has delayed the release of energy aid, leaving some of the nation’s poorest families without the support they rely on to heat their homes as colder weather approaches, NEADA said. At the same time, electricity and natural gas prices have risen sharply, https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/2025/10/27/governm