Shutdown Affects Residents

The federal government is entering its second full week of its partial shutdown, and 800,000 federal workers aren’t the only ones who are being affected.
Local residents may see the consequences of the stalemate in Washington in unexpected places.
From outdoor toilets to garbage dumpsters, essential services usually provided by the Shoshone National Forest have been cut off, meaning that normal operations like cleaning and taking out the trash are on hold. And communication has been shut off on websites for Yellowstone, the Forest Service, and the Bureau of Land Management.
And if you’re waiting to hear about a new home or business loan, you may be waiting a while. NPR reports that several government agencies that give out loans have had their purse strings tied by the federal shutdown.
Yellowstone National Park remains open during the shutdown, but all government-run operations will be closed and entrance stations unmanned. Over-snow travel via snow coach and snowmobile is still possible on most park roads including the East Entrance, because concessionaires are currently providing funding for road grooming.
The Cody VA outpatient clinic will stay open – a spokesperson for the VA in Sheridan told the Cody Enterprise that the VA is fully funded for the fiscal year 2019, which means they are not affected by the government shutdown in any way.
And the Enterprise also reports that the U.S. Postal Service is also not affected by the shutdown because it supports itself off postage sales.
All Social Security checks will be delivered as usual, but some employees may be furloughed, which could create for delays and backlogs at the local office.