Dear Friend,

A government shutdown is something I hoped Congress could have worked together to avoid but unfortunately, today, we find ourselves in the midst of a shutdown. My responsibility at this point is to work as hard as I can with my colleagues to find a reasonable solution out of this mess and keep my constituents as informed as possible.  I want you to know that all four of my district offices will remain open during the shutdown to help with all constituent matters—the reality is that constituent problems don’t end because we can’t handle our business in Washington.

While the full impact is still being assessed, it is anticipated that a shutdown could delay financial support for Louisiana’s small businesses and possibly put 22,000 federal employees in Louisiana out of work.

The government shutdown is impacting each federal agency differently so below, I have provided a list of their current status:

U.S. Postal Service-Mail will continue to be delivered

National parks-All national park facilities and grounds are closed

Passport offices-The office is not accepting new passport applications.  Applications sent before today will continue to be processed

Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid-Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid, and unemployment insurance are open for business. But new applicants might not have their applications processed until the government reopens

Public schools-Public schools will remain open, but the U.S. Education Department will stop most of its operations. Among other things, payment of Pell Grants and Direct Student Loans could be delayed

Government contractors-May be impacted if they work in a federal building or need federal worker assistance

U.S. Capitol-Public tours of the U.S. Capitol will be suspended

Federal courts-Federal courts are open and could continue to operate for approximately two weeks with reserve funds

Immigration services-The Department of Homeland Security will no longer operate its E-Verify program, which means that businesses will not be able to check on the legal immigration status of prospective employees during the shutdown. Other fee-based immigration services should continue

WIC program-The WIC program, which provides food to 8.9 million low-income women and children, will not be funded

VA disability claims-All Veterans Administration medical facilities will remain open for inpatient and outpatient care, but benefits programs overseen by the VA would probably be affected by a shutdown

Federal prisons-Federal prisons will be staffed

SNAP-Funding for Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program benefits will continue

IRS-Internal Revenue Service is closed

Airports-Airports will remain open. Air traffic controllers and baggage screeners are considered essential

Food inspectors-Meat and poultry inspectors will keep working

Patent and Trademark Office-The Department of Commerce will maintain patent and trademark application processing during the shutdown

Military-President Obama signed a bill that ensures that certain members of the U.S. military and U.S. Coast Guard will be paid during a government shutdown late Monday

Health Insurance Enrollment- Health Insurance Marketplace (Exchange) opens in Louisiana today-you can enroll at Healthcare.gov or 1-800-318-2596

In the days to come, I want you to know that I am committed to providing you with essential information so you know just how this shutdown will impact you. If your family and friends would like to receive periodic updates as well please share this e-mail with them in the section "Tell a friend".

Sincerely,

Congressman Cedric Richmond

2nd Congressional District of Louisiana