OLYMPIA, Wash. — The federal government faces a potential shutdown at midnight if Congress fails to reach a funding agreement, with significant implications for Washington state's 82,000 federal workers and various government services.
While essential services such as U.S. Mail delivery and Social Security payments would continue, under a shutdown, many federal employees could face immediate impacts, affecting air travel, health care, and parks services.
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The 2019 government shutdown provides a preview of potential impacts.
For example, during that closure, park rangers were furloughed, along with non-governmental employees at hotels and restaurants at Mount Rainier.
In past shutd