Government Shutdown Looms - What To Expect

Washington is abuzz over its pending shutdown, though it's unclear whether the rest of the country is quite as apprehensive at the prospect as Beltway insiders. There will be some inconvenience on Main Street, though the entire affair will likely go unnoticed by many.

Here's what you can expect:

• Mail The post office will continue to operate normally, if that's any comfort.

• Internal Revenue Service The tax return due date will still be April 18. Refunds will probably no be delayed to those who file electronically but there will be delays processing paper returns and issuing refunds.

• Social Security Checks will continue to be sent normally, but there may be delays for those seeking to sign up for the first time.

• National ParksNational parks, forests and recreation areas will be closed.

• Federal CourtsThe courts estimate they could remain open for about ten days. Some court personnel might see delays in getting their paychecks.

• Air Traffic Control, Border Patrols, etc.All services that the Obama Administration deems "essential" will continue to operate.

• The MilitaryThe military is obviously essential but troops might not be paid if the shutdown lasted more than two weeks.

• Civilian Government WorkersIf the government shuts down and its 800,000 workers are furloughed, it's likely they will not be paid for the time they are furloughed.

• Food Safety InspectionsThese will continue, the White House said.

• The ZooAll those furloughed government workers might want to go to the National Zoo and other Smithsonian institutions but they will be closed. Presumably, someone will continue to feed the beasts, even while the federal beast is fasting.

What about Congress?

Ah, now we come to the $64 billion question. What happens to Congress if the government is shut down because of its incompetence?

Good question.

Some newspaper pundits have already suggested that Congress should not be paid for the days the government is closed. One public-interest group, Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington (CREW), notes that some Congressmen have already declared their entire staffs essential.

No way, sniffed CREW executive director Melanie Sloan: "Members of Congress should answer their own phones and make copies themselves …. Many Americans cannot afford to miss a single paycheck, yet they're about to as a result of congressional inaction."