Congressional Democrats and Republicans are in a stalemate pertaining to any potential appropriations agreement to further fund the federal government. Here is what the ongoing government shutdown means for the City of Columbia.
Agencies such as the Student Financial Aid office at the University of Missouri continue their normal means of operation, with the shutdown contributing little to no significant impact on their financial services to students.
“Historically, government shutdowns have not had a significant impact on the MU financial aid office’s ability to serve students,” Travis Zimpfer, the Deputy Spokesperson for Mizzou, said. “While we may experience some delays processing financial aid requests, the majority of Federal Student Aid processors, contact centers and websites, including the online FAFSA, remain operational at this time.”
However, other aspects of Mizzou life have been affected by the shutdown. The military flyover above Farout Field at Memorial Stadium during the Mizzou v. Alabama game on Oct. 11 has been canceled. Similarly, the ROTC Cannon Crew, a Mizzou game day tradition since the 1890s, will not be present.
An area of concern also arises from the Columbia/Boone County Department of Public Health and Human Services if the government shutdown lasts for an extended period of time.
“[The shutdown] hasn’t affected us yet,” Austin Krohn, the public health information specialist for the City of Columbia, said. “The main thing we may be concerned about in the future is our WIC program since that is a federally funded program.”
WIC, the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants and Children, provides income-based nutritional services to pregnant, recently pregnant and breastfeeding women, as well as infants and children under the age of 5 years old.
However, since the program is federally funded, a long-term shutdown could prove costly to the organization. The White House has enacted plans to sustain the program using tariff revenues, but the short-term nature of this action prompts feelings of uncertainty within the leaders of the National WIC Association.
The United States Department of Agriculture affirms that this ongoing lapse of appropriations could cause great detriment to farmers, ranchers and the overall community of rural America.
There is a level of unpredictability attributed to the state of the shutdown. With no resolution in sight as members of Congress continue to delay an agreement for proper resolutions to continue government funding for the impending fiscal year, the longevity of this closure remains unclear.
If residents have concerns about the shutdown effects in Columbia, they can contact representatives from the respective organization with proper questions and concerns.
