BAKERSFIELD, Calif. (KERO) — The federal government shutdown is creating a slow-moving ripple effect, raising concerns about how long local agencies can continue operating without disruption.
Rep. David Valadao, R-Hanford, said constituents could see delays when seeking help with federal programs such as the Department of Veterans Affairs or the U.S. Department of Agriculture.
“If we're making calls on behalf of constituents to the VA or to USDA or any other government agency, there is going to be limitation of what we can get done because of the other offices potentially following along and actually being shut down instead of being considered essential,” Valadao said.
The shutdown requires federal agencies to halt all nonessential work. Locally, that could eventually impact programs such as food banks, SNAP and WIC services.
For now, however, those programs remain stable. Susana Magagna, director of health and nutrition for the Community Action Partnership of Kern, said the food bank is funded through the end of the year.
“Their last order was placed earlier in September for delivery starting at the new year. So right now, I think we have a little bit of a leeway,” Magagna said.
She added that while WIC is also federally funded, the program has not received any immediate indication of changes. She encouraged families to stay in contact with their case managers.
Veterans services, Social Security, airports, transportation and national parks are among other agencies that could be affected if the shutdown continues. Still, Valadao said most residents won’t feel the impacts immediately.
“It won't be anything that I think the average constituent will see a lot, but there are things out there that will affect average constituents. So we want to minimize that to the best of our ability,” he said.
Kern County officials issued a statement saying federally funded county programs and services remain operational with resources in place for several weeks.
“The County Administrative Office is closely monitoring this evolving situation and is working in close coordination with all County departments to assess risks and develop and refine contingency plans as needed,” the statement said.
County leaders added they remain committed to informing residents of any changes and ensuring that services stay available.
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