Government shutdown and travel

Should the government shut down tonight, you can expect that Passport day will be cancelled tomorrow. The State department will only be issuing emergency passports until the government opens for business.

If th shutdown does occur, air traffic controllers will work and TSA will work so it shouldn’t have too much effect on travel. Both are considered essential services and continue no matter what. Sadly, hundreds of thousands of their government employee brethren will not get paid. .

But have no fear, Congress is looking out for themselves. They consider themselves essential employees.  Regardless of what happens, they get paid. 

(Frank II)

Update on April 8, 2011 by Frank@OBOW

It’s official…..Passport Day has been cancelled due to the possibility of a government shutdown. No new date has been announced. 

Comments

[Little J]

How sure are we that they are only issuing emergency passports? I applied for a passport renewal back in March and was told, when I called earlier this week, that my passport would be processed and that they do not shut down if the government shuts down.

[Frank II]

http://news.travel.aol.com/2011/04/08/government-shutdown-foreign-embassies-open-but-no-passports-is/

[Kat]

Oh no! I was working on my application to go to Europe this summer.