Portions of the United States federal government have entered a partial shutdown following the failure of U.S. Congress to pass a funding measure before the deadline on Friday, January 30, as reported by Joyjyun Acol, Radyo Natin US Correspondent.
Acol reported that temperatures in parts of the country have dropped to as low as negative 3 degrees Celsius, with wind chill making it feel closer to negative 8, as a powerful winter storm continues to grip several states.
The partial shutdown resulted from disagreements among lawmakers over proposed bonus security funding and additional economic relief packages for states heavily affected by the winter storm.
As a result, funding for several non-essential government services has been temporarily halted.
Thousands of federal employees have been placed on furlough, meaning they are temporarily out of work without pay. However, affected workers are expected to receive back pay once the shutdown ends.
Several national parks and museums have been closed, while passport and visa processing services are expected to experience significant delays. These disruptions are likely to impact foreign nationals, including Filipinos awaiting visa issuance or renewal.
Despite the shutdown, essential government services remain operational. Air traffic controllers, customer service agents, military personnel, and workers handling Social Security payments continue to work, although some will receive their salaries on a deferred basis.
Authorities emphasized that no government employees will be permanently laid off, especially as agencies remain operational to respond to the ongoing winter storm.
Meanwhile, the death toll from the severe winter weather has risen to 137 nationwide. States such as Tennessee, Mississippi, and Louisiana reported multiple fatalities, many linked to prolonged power outages that left homes without heating.
Carbon monoxide poisoning has been identified as the leading cause of death, followed by hypothermia.
According to a report from the U.S. Congress, the current funding lapse is expected to last for two weeks. Lawmakers are scheduled to resume discussions and debates on whether to approve the proposed security funding and economic relief packages once that period ends.
