The federal government shut down at 12:01 a.m. Wednesday after Congress failed to pass a funding bill, triggering furloughs, service disruptions and uncertainty across the country.
In Sonoma and Napa counties, federally funded services such as Social Security, veterans’ clinics and Head Start centers remained open Wednesday morning, though officials warned staffing cuts and funding lapses could limit operations if the shutdown drags on. Lines formed at Santa Rosa’s Social Security office, veterans crowded a south Santa Rosa clinic, and local food banks began preparing for a potential surge in need.
Critical services such as Social Security, Medicare and mail delivery are expected to continue, though with possible delays, while federal courts, national parks and agencies like the U.S. Department of Agriculture face strain.
Rep. Mike Thompson, D-St. Helena, said the first call his Washington, D.C., office received Wednesday came from a constituent worried about losing telemedicine access. She will now have to spend $100 each way to Uber to her health care appointments. The expanded Medicare coverage for telehealth expired Sept. 30 under existing law. Thompson said he had hoped to secure an extension in negotiations for a new appropriations bill — a scenario that can’t happen while the government remains shut down.
Rep. Jared Huffman, D-San Rafael, said Democrats were “backed into a corner” after Republicans pushed through what he called “draconian cuts” to health care funding. He argued that Democrats hold the moral high ground, noting they are demanding that any funding deal extend tax credits that lower the cost of insurance purchased through the Affordable Care Act.
The shutdown comes as dueling proposals failed in the Senate Wednesday. The last federal shutdown, in 2018-2019, lasted 35 days.
Until a funding plan is passed, disruptions are inevitable. In Napa and Sonoma counties, hundreds of workers are expected to be affected. California’s 2nd Congressional District, which includes Marin, Mendocino, Humboldt, Del Norte and Trinity counties, plus portions of Sonoma County, had 6,849 federal government workers in 2024, according to the Census Bureau. The 4th Congressional District, which includes all of Lake County and Napa County and parts of Solano, Sonoma and Yolo counties, had 6,615 workers.
So far, local food banks have not seen a surge in need, said Allison Goodwin, president and CEO of Redwood Empire Food Bank. That was expected, she noted — federal employees working without pay are unlikely to seek help on the first day of a shutdown.
If the government remains closed and programs such as WIC or SNAP — both run through the USDA — are disrupted, demand could rise. Even a perceived threat can spark concern, Goodwin said, pushing more people to turn to food banks.
Meanwhile, residents lined up early Wednesday morning at the Social Security office on Range Avenue in Santa Rosa, unsure if their appointments would proceed during the shutdown.
Monte Robinson, a Santa Rosa resident, had an appointment for benefit verification — a service the Social Security Administration said could be disrupted in its contingency plan. Robinson said the process usually takes only a minute, but this time staff couldn’t complete it in person. A worker told him the problem was related to the shutdown and directed him to use an online portal instead.
“I don’t know how long the process will take for me to receive this,” he said, adding that a delay could affect his ability to pay for housing.
As of 2024, about 28,805 Napa County residents and 110,445 in Sonoma County received Social Security benefits, according to SSA data, totaling nearly $283 million.
At local veterans’ clinics, medical appointments were continuing as scheduled Wednesday, but many worried about what a longer shutdown might mean. Gregory Gick, a Vietnam veteran, said he feared benefits could be delayed or go unpaid.
“I would be in trouble,” he said after a morning dental visit to the South Santa Rosa VA outpatient clinic.
The Department of Veterans Affairs said in a late September contingency plan that its clinics and vet centers would stay open, and that it would continue processing benefits claims and handling burials. But regional benefits offices, call centers and public affairs offices are closed, making it more difficult for veterans to get timely information.
By state estimates, about 20,290 veterans live in Sonoma County and 5,550 in Napa County. Federal data show nearly 5,000 Sonoma County veterans and 1,900 in Napa County receive disability compensation.
Head Start centers in Sonoma and Napa counties were also open Wednesday, with funding secure unless the shutdown drags on.
“These are uncertain times,” said Manisha Gupta, director of early childhood education at Sonoma CAN, which oversees local sites. “Our work continues.”
Sonoma County Agriculture Commissioner Andrew Smith said county ag departments should be able to maintain day-to-day operations for now. Local pest prevention programs and services that protect crops and livestock from wildlife will continue, as will emergency efforts to address animal and plant health problems such as avian influenza and New World screwworm, he said.
But farmer-facing USDA agencies are taking a harder hit.
The Farm Service Agency, which provides loans to farmers and ranchers and oversees disaster and conservation programs, is slated to furlough 6,377 of its 9,468 employees. According to the USDA plan, the agency will halt loan processing, technical assistance and most customer correspondence.
“The longer the shutdown, the worse it’s going to be for farmer-facing agency work,” Smith said.
Court fees and other funds will keep federal courts operating through Oct. 17, United States Courts officials announced Wednesday.
If those funds run out before the shutdown ends, courts will operate on a limited basis, with individual offices deciding which staff and services are essential.
Cases tied to Sonoma and Napa counties are typically filed in U.S. District Court in San Francisco, where notable proceedings include the December sentencing of two former Rohnert Park police officers convicted of impersonating federal agents and robbing motorists.
Local attorneys told The Press Democrat they had not yet seen disruptions in court schedules. But they acknowledged the potential for serious consequences if the shutdown drags on.
Recreation areas managed by the Bureau of Land Management, including the South and North Cow Mountain regions in the Mayacamas Mountains east of Ukiah, are expected to remain open during the shutdown, but without ranger services, trash removal, restroom access or permit processing, according to federal contingency plans.
Point Reyes National Seashore also appeared likely to stay open under federal guidance that larger parks remain staffed, though the park had not confirmed Wednesday.
At Coast Guard Station Bodega Bay, active-duty members are considered “excepted” employees and will continue performing search-and-rescue operations and other lifesaving duties during the shutdown, according to the agency’s contingency plan.
Civilian staff deemed non-essential will be furloughed, which could affect administrative support and non-emergency services. Some employees paid through special fees or multi-year accounts are “exempt” and will remain on the job.
For residents and mariners along the Sonoma coast, that means emergency response remains intact, but there may be longer waits for inspections, permits and other non-urgent services.
At Charles M. Schulz–Sonoma County Airport, operations were running normally Wednesday, airport manager Jon Stout said.
“Air traffic controllers are considered essential so they would have to show up for work,” he said. “For now, they are showing up and there’s been no impact.”
Stout noted that the Transportation Security Administration contracts with a third party for passenger screening at the airport. That multi-year agreement is paid up front, he said, and “is not impacted by delays with continuing resolutions or the shutdown.”
The current five-year contract is set to expire in about six months. For now, Stout said, its funding insulates TSA contractors from the shutdown — but a prolonged budget fight in Washington could complicate renewal.
Across agencies, there is a scramble to maintain services while assessing the full impact of the federal shutdown. With the Senate not expected to be in session until Friday, it is unknown how long this might last.
Press Democrat staff writers Phil Barber, Austin Murphy, Edward Booth, Madison Smalstig, Colin Atagi and Paulina Pineda contributed reporting.