How is the federal shutdown affecting Pennsylvania?

From Delco to Chesco and Montco to Bucks, what about life in Philly’s suburbs do you want WHYY News to cover? Let us know!

There is no end in sight to the federal shutdown as Congress remains divided along partisan lines over whether to extend subsidies for the Affordable Care Act.

Democrats are asking that Republicans, who control the House and the Senate, include the enhanced premium tax credits in the next short-term funding bill.

There’s now a standoff.

On Oct. 1, the federal government shut down for the first time since 2018. That shutdown lasted for 34 days. The current impasse is putting a strain on federal employees and services in Pennsylvania — which is already dealing with a spending stalemate of its own.

How is the shutdown affecting Pennsylvania’s federal workers?

The federal government employs more than 66,000 civilians in Pennsylvania, which does not include contract workers or uniformed military personnel. Without the funds necessary to operate certain federal agencies and programs, nonessential employees have been furloughed.

During this time, those federal workers will neither work nor receive pay. Once the shutdown ends, those employees are expected to receive back pay. Contractors will not. However, according to Axios, the White House might challenge guaranteeing compensation for furloughed workers.

The U.S. Postal Service, which employs more than 6,000 letter carriers in Philadelphia and the surrounding suburbs, is generally self-funded and is therefore unaffected by the shutdown.

Essential federal employees who must work without pay during the shutdown include air traffic controllers, healthcare workers, law enforcement officers, military personnel and Transportation Safety Administration agents.

No shutdown-related delays yet at Philadelphia’s airports

According to the Federal Aviation Administration, there has been a small increase in the number of air traffic controllers calling out sick since the shutdown began. This has led to delays at some airports.

A spokesperson for Philadelphia International Airport and Northeast Philadelphia Airport told WHYY News on Tuesday that there are no delays “right now.”

“We are in touch with the agencies and monitoring the situation,” the spokesperson said.

The airport is reminding passengers to sign up for alerts with their airlines for the latest flight status updates and to allow for extra time to pass through the checkpoints.

Several Independence Hall National Historic Park attractions in Philadelphia are closed, including the Liberty Bell Center.

Without workers, the visitor center at Valley Forge National Historic Park, which stretches across parts of Chester and Montgomery counties, is also closed — meaning there are no tour guides.