TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (WTXL) — A possible government shutdown could ripple through Tallahassee, delaying funding for healthcare, education, and local services.
- The deadline to fund the government is on October 1, and both parties could not agree on a funding deal Tuesday night.
- A shutdown will likely cut pay for millions of federal workers, and many will still have to come into work.
- Watch the video to see why an FSU professor says the shutdown could impact local universities and healthcare programs.
BROADCAST TRANSCRIPT:
A looming government shutdown could impact everything from federal grants to healthcare funding right here in Tallahassee.
With government funding set to expire at midnight, and no deal in sight, some federal programs could soon be paused. Agencies, researchers, and local services could also see delays.
"Looks like we're going to have a government shutdown, and so that means that some government programs are going to be put on hiatus." says FSU Professor of Economics Randall Holcombe.
Holcombe is a longtime economics expert at Florida State University. He says the campus could be one of the first places to feel the effect of a shutdown.
"It could affect the universities. Florida State University gets money from federal government contracts, that money might be delayed," Holcombe said, "I think the people in Tallahassee who are most likely to be affected are people at the university who have federal grants and are relying on federal money."
But the impact could stretch well beyond education.
Holcombe says funding from healthcare programs like Medicaid could stall.
"With the Affordable Care Act, the big issue there is Medicaid. The state will get all its money, but not right away. So there may be a temporary interruption in Medicaid funding coming from the federal government to the state of Florida," Holcombe added.
So while the shutdown may start in Washington, its effects could be felt here in Tallahassee and nationwide.
It all depends on how quickly Congress can reach a deal.
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