Closures, Social Security checks, furloughs: What a government shutdown might mean

Associated Press

Congress has until midnight Friday to come up with a way to fund the government, or federal agencies will shutter. It’s up to each federal agency to determine how it handles a shutdown, but there would be disruptions in many services. Benefits checks for Social Security and Medicare recipients would go out, though. Troops and law enforcement officers would also stay on the job. This is happening because Congress hasn’t approved a new measure to fund the government, and the current provision expires Friday. President-elect Donald Trump on Wednesday rejected a bipartisan plan to prevent a shutdown, instead telling House Speaker Mike Johnson and Republicans to renegotiate. A new bill failed on Thursday, leaving next steps uncertain.