How does the federal government shutdown affect North Dakota?

BISMARCK, N.D. (KFYR) - As the government shut down at midnight Wednesday, North Dakotans may be wondering how this will affect them and the state.

This is the first government shutdown since 2018, which lasted 35 days. The current shutdown began after Congress failed to pass a stopgap funding bill, with disputes over health care subsidies at the center of contention.

In North Dakota, various Federal Agencies, such as the Farm Service Agencies, were unable to take calls due to furloughed employees. There are about 6,000 federal workers in North Dakota.

Job Service North Dakota receives 95% of its funds from the federal government. The agency says that if the shutdown lasts 30 days or more, they won’t be laying off individuals, but changing Bureau of Labor Statistics activities operations and transferring staff from there.

According to the Presidential Library Foundation, Theodore Roosevelt National Park is open and running on a skeleton crew. However, the Visitor’s Center is closed, as well as some of the restrooms throughout the park.

Many other local agencies affected by what’s happening in D.C. are looking to see how the situation will progress and won’t speculate as to what might happen next. They do not anticipate it will last longer than the 35-day shutdown in 2018, which was the longest shutdown in U.S. History.

Federal workers who will definitely stay on the job include those in the courts, the Federal Aviation Administration and the TSA at North Dakota airports.