Springfield, IL-(Effingham Radio)- With a federal government shutdown on the horizon, officials in Illinois are bracing for possible impact. The deadline for a series of funding bills to keep various sectors of the federal government funded is tied up in Washington D.C. with a Democrat-controlled Senate at odds with a Republican-controlled House. While Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program subsidies are set for October, U.S. Department of Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack warned what a shutdown could mean to nearly 168,000 beneficiaries of the federally-funded Women, Infants and Children nutrition program in Illinois.
The Illinois Department of Human Services said they are monitoring the situation, but the agency believes both SNAP and WIC benefits would not be impacted for Illinois customers during the month of October.
Effingham IDOT also released a statement when asked what changes could happen in the instance of a government shutdown.
“We do not anticipate any impacts to highway projects, the bulk of activity at IDOT. The department will continue to receive federal funds as it normally it does. Engineering, construction and maintenance will proceed uninterrupted. We will continue to evaluate the potential impacts to other programs and work with the governor’s office and state’s congressional delegation to monitor.”
Another program that should not change is Social Security, as it is considered a mandatory program and will not be affected if the government shuts down.
Story from Illinois Radio Network
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