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How a partial government shutdown will impact Coloradans

Shutdown could impact food stamps, parks and holiday travel
Posted at 4:53 PM, Dec 21, 2018
and last updated 2018-12-21 22:16:19-05

So, how will the government shutdown impact Coloradans?

When the government shuts down at midnight ET, the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program or SNAP, which is essentially food stamps, might be one of the first programs to take a hit.

Denver resident Charlotte Carter provides for her daughter and grandson. She says any little change could devastate her monthly budget.

"It would impact it very highly because I'm disabled,” Carter said. “I have no other means aside from $750 a month and it's hard to maintain. I can't even afford rent. I'm about to be homeless."

Jen Miller says food stamps have been a lifeline for her in the past.

"And this would be especially hard on families with children and babies,” Miller said. “It gives them a boost to be able to feed their children for the rest of the month."

And on the verge of one of the busiest travel weekends of the year, the TSA could also be impacted by a shutdown.

But, a spokeswoman tells Denver7 it should not disrupt travel.

"There will be no impact to security for passengers,” said Lisa Farbstein, TSA spokeswoman. “TSA will continue to provide the typical rigorous level of security that they provide. So, the TSA officers in the blue shirts that people see day in and day out - they'll be working."

Instead, all behind the scenes TSA staffers would be cut, and the ones at the airport would work, but go unpaid until the government was open for business again.

"What has happened is those employees who do work, historically, have previously been paid for their work - it's just retroactive," Farbstein said.

Also, visitor’s centers at national parks like Rocky Mountain would shut down.

During the last shut down, some roads in Rocky Mountain National Park were impassable because there weren't road crews to clear them. And the park warns there wouldn't be adequate staff to safeguard visitors, although most gates would remain open.

As for Carter, she's crossing her fingers for a Congressional compromise.

"Please don't cut it,” Carter said. “It's all we have."