Dear John,

As you may know, the government shut down early Wednesday morning when Republicans failed to pass legislation to fund the government. I am working every day toward reopening the government, and in the meantime, my offices remain fully operational.

I know many of you have concerns about how this shutdown will affect you and which facilities and agencies remain operational. Please rest assured that critical services related to national security, the postal system, and veterans’ healthcare will remain operational.

If you have questions about this shutdown and what it may mean for you, I’ve created an FAQ page on my website at Quigley.house.gov/Shutdown. You can also call my DC office at (202) 225-4061 or my Chicago office at (773) 267-5926 with questions or to share your concerns.

Here’s how the shutdown will impact you.

Medicare, Medicaid, and Social Security

You should still receive your Medicare, Medicaid, and Social Security benefits. A shutdown will not impact Social Security benefit payments. However, be aware that new benefit verification and card issuance services have ceased, which may result in delays in processing claims for new recipients. All pending Social Security Disability determinations are stalled for the entirety of the shutdown. Medicare and Medicaid will continue as usual for the foreseeable future, but you may experience difficulty reaching these agencies, as some employees are furloughed.

U.S. Military and Veterans

If you are a service member, you will not receive pay during the shutdown, but you are guaranteed back pay once government funding is restored. The Department of Defense will continue to defend our nation, and all military personnel will continue their usual duties. All healthcare functions within the Veterans Health Administration will continue, and veterans will continue to receive pension claims. It is unacceptable that the men and women who put their lives on the line for our nation are going unpaid because of Republican chaos.

Travel

You may experience delays when flying. TSA employees and Air Traffic Controllers will remain on the job without pay until after federal funding is restored, so please have patience with any delays as you go about your travel. Services will also continue at international embassies and consulates, and passports will be processed as usual.

U.S. Postal Service

You will continue to get your mail and packages. All services under the Postal Service will continue unimpacted throughout the government shutdown.