How would a federal government shutdown affect New Mexico?

Congress is poised to shut down the federal government Wednesday, potentially affecting national parks and more than 60,000 federal government workers in New Mexico.

Republican leadership in the House and Senate want to pass a continuing resolution that keeps the federal government funded into November, while longer-term appropriations are negotiated. But Democratic leadership wants subsidies for health care included in the temporary funding measure. Their proposal would reverse some of the spending cuts made in the summer tax package and extend federal subsidies for health insurance.

The House passed a temporary funding bill last week, but Senate Democrats blocked it and proposed their own plan. The White House canceled meetings with Democratic leadership this week, and House Republicans called off votes for Monday and Tuesday, blocking more negotiation.

“I have decided that no meeting with their congressional leaders could possibly be productive,” President Donald Trump said in a social media post.

A shutdown is extremely likely, said Rep. Melanie Stansbury, D-N.M.

“There were literally months of opportunity for bipartisan negotiations,” she said. “We had at least the last week to come to a final agreement and to prepare to get this across the finish line. But the President and the Republican leadership have chosen to actually shut the government down intentionally.”

Although Republicans have majorities in both chambers, at least seven Democratic senators also need to vote in favor for the resolution to be filibuster-proof.

Shutdowns typically mean some federal employees will miss paychecks, as they work without pay or are sent home from work. National parks and monuments — New Mexico has 14 — close or reduce services, and food assistance payments can be delayed.

New Mexico Health Care Authority staff do not expect any immediate disruptions to Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, or SNAP, applications and benefits, but are monitoring the situation closely, according to spokeswoman Marina Piña.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture, which oversees the U.S. Forest Service, did not answer specific questions about how Forest Service operations could be affected in New Mexico by a shutdown. USDA “is prepared for all contingencies regarding Department operations, including critical services and supports,” a USDA spokesperson said.

During the last government shutdown in 2018, approximately 87% of National Park Service employees were furloughed, according to a 2023 Congressional Research Service report. The 2013 government shutdown resulted in a $414 million loss in national park visitor spending nationwide.

During shutdowns, essential national security and safety work continues. So do essential services, including Medicare, Social Security services, the postal service and air-traffic control.

Federal workers and national laboratories

In an unusual move, the White House budget office has instructed federal agencies to prepare permanent layoff plans in federal programs that would lose funding in the event of an Oct. 1 shutdown.

“We remain hopeful that Democrats in Congress will not trigger a shutdown and the steps outlined above will not be necessary,” the memo reads.

The administration has had to rehire federal employees it mass fired earlier this year, after court orders. Democrats plan to bring legal challenges if the Trump administration attempts to fire more federal workers en masse during a shutdown, Stansbury said.

New Mexico had 22,695 civilian federal employees as of September 2024 and more than 60,000 people fell into the broader federal government worker category, according to a Congressional Research Service report. Federal government workers made up between 6% to 8% of all employees in each congressional district. The Trump administration reduced the federal workforce by approximately 200,000 workers this year, according to a report from the Partnership for Public Service, so the number of New Mexico workers may have decreased.

New Mexico’s two national laboratories say their operations would not be immediately affected in the event of a government shutdown.

Sandia National Laboratories is monitoring the federal budget process and coordinating with the Department of Energy and National Nuclear Security Administration, according to spokesman Darrick Hurst. If appropriations lapse, Sandia plans to continue normal operations in the short term using prior-year funds, unless DOE and NNSA tell them to do otherwise. The lab’s workforce totals nearly 17,000.

Los Alamos National Laboratory also has funds in place to continue operations, according to spokesman Steven Horak.