A federal government shutdown that affects Maine in several ways is here, after Congress and President Donald Trump failed to reach a short-term funding deal before Wednesday’s deadline.
Roughly 750,000 federal workers around the country, including some of the 12,000 or so in Maine, face furloughs and potential firings if the Trump administration follows through on its stated plans. Other consequences for Maine, such as how disruptive the shutdown will be for Acadia National Park and other services, were not yet immediately known Wednesday morning.
Here’s a rundown of some of the things we know and don’t yet know about how the shutdown will affect Maine.
Maine’s federal workers prepare for furloughs or firings.
Workers deemed essential must continue their jobs and will not receive pay until the shutdown ends, with Maine’s air traffic controllers, airport security screeners, Border Patrol agents, Coast Guard personnel, National Guard members and Postal Service staff among that group.
But the White House can designate other federal employees as “nonessential” and place them on furlough for the duration of the shutdown. Trump’s budget chief, Russ Vought, and his office had already instructed federal agencies to prepare for mass firings during a shutdown, which follows the administration’s efforts since January to drastically cut the size of the government.
The Maine Department of Labor released unemployment insurance guidance Wednesday for the federal employees in the state that number closer to 10,000 when not including postal employees. It is not yet known how many will be eligible for unemployment benefits, the department said.
Federal workers in Maine who are furloughed or see their hours reduced during the shutdown may qualify for unemployment benefits. They can start a claim by calling 1-800-593-7660 between 8 a.m. and 3 p.m. Monday through Friday. The Maine Department of Labor’s complete guidance is available at maine.gov/unemployment/ucfe/index.shtml.
Certain services in Maine continue, while others are paused.
Social Security recipients will continue to receive their checks, but the Social Security Administration will limit certain services. That will likely lead to longer customer service wait times. Medicare and Medicaid recipients will continue to get benefits for at least three months, and VA facilities for Maine veterans will remain open.
Other services for veterans, such as job training and homelessness assistance along with VA call centers, will be paused or otherwise hampered during the shutdown. Federal food stamp benefits are funded through October. WIC payments that help women, infants and children will likely face a pause in federal funding while continuing to receive state and local dollars.
States have some power to manage shared aspects of government. During a 2013 shutdown, then-Republican Gov. Paul LePage furloughed more than 50 federally funded workers in Maine who made Social Security disability determinations. It was not yet immediately clear Wednesday whether Gov. Janet Mills’ administration will make any moves related to state workers who are in roles reliant on federal funding.
Mills told state employees in a Tuesday email that the “vast majority” of them will not see day-to-day job changes but noted about 2,500 state workers have jobs that are funded entirely or partially by federal agencies. Still, Mills wrote that “which departments are impacted remains to be seen and depends upon the actions of Congress and the Trump Administration.”
Acadia National Park remains partially open.
National parks will reportedly remain partially open during the shutdown, according to an Interior Department contingency plan posted Tuesday evening. That applies to open-air sites, but buildings that require staffing, such as visitor centers, will reportedly close until Congress reaches a temporary spending deal to end the shutdown.
Acadia’s roads, including the popular Park Loop Road, were open Wednesday morning, and rangers were stationed on the route to the Cadillac Mountain summit while continuing to check for vehicle reservations. A BDN reporter noticed the Hulls Cove Visitor Center was closed. But the Island Explorer bus system, which is operated by the nonprofit organization Downeast Transportation, and local bicycle rental companies were coming and going from the parking lot as usual. The new Acadia Gateway Center in Trenton, which is owned and operated by the state, was also open, though no employees were on site.
The last time a government shutdown closed Acadia during the busier tourist season was in October 2013. A 1995 shutdown closed the park during a quieter November time.
The shutdown comes during a busy year for Maine’s sole national park. Acadia saw a record amount of monthly visitors in July and August that put it on pace to approach 2021’s record of more than 4 million annual visits, though the shutdown may affect that pace.
BDN writer Bill Trotter contributed to this report.
