State parks will stay open and social programs run by the state will continue even if the federal government shuts down at midnight, Gov. Kelly Ayotte said Tuesday.
“State agency heads have assured us that within the next 30 days, operations will continue as normal,” she said.
Programs that would continue include SNAP, which provides food benefits to low-income families, the Women Infants and Children (WIC) benefit program and LIHEAP, which provides energy assistance. These are administered by state agencies using federal pass-through funds.
If there is a shutdown, state parks will remain open as usual during leaf-peeping season, perhaps the busiest tourist season of the year. However, offices of the White Mountain National Forest, part of the federal Forest Service, would shut.
Federal services deemed essential will continue, including Social Security and Medicare payments. Some Veterans Affairs services would be cut but most will remain.
Mail delivery would not be affected by a shutdown, as the Postal Service is an independent agency of the executive branch.
Republicans have crafted a short-term measure to fund the government through Nov. 21, but Democrats have insisted the measure address their concerns on health care. They want to reverse the Medicaid cuts in President Donald Trump’s mega-bill passed this summer and extend tax credits that make health insurance premiums more affordable for millions of people who purchase through the marketplaces established by the Affordable Care Act. Republicans call the Democratic proposal a nonstarter.
Neither side shows any signs of budging, with the House not even expected to have votes this week.
There have been 20 shutdowns since the 1977 fiscal year due to gaps in funding, some for as short as a day while one during Trump’s first term lasted 35 days.
The Associated Press contributed reporting to this story.