Federal Government Shutdown Could Start to Have Local Effects, Councilmembers Are Told

Pasadena officials were alerted Tuesday that the federal government shutdown that began Oct. 1 could soon disrupt key safety-net programs for local families — including Section 8 housing vouchers, WIC nutrition benefits and Head Start preschool services — if the impasse in Washington stretches into upcoming monthly payment cycles.

The briefing came before the City Council’s Legislative Policy Committee, chaired by Councilmember Steve Madison. Chris Giglio, the city’s federal advocate, described an uneven “partial government shutdown” in which agencies are applying their own “essential” staffing rules.

Giglio said Immigration and Customs Enforcement is down about 7% of its workforce while roughly 90% of the Environmental Protection Agency’s staff has been furloughed. He added that while the U.S. Postal Service continues operating and many national parks remain open on fee revenue, they are doing so with skeleton staffing.

For Pasadena, the earliest local impacts would likely surface after several weeks, as monthly federal reimbursements come due. Section 8 payments to landlords, monthly WIC benefits and Head Start draws are all paid on monthly cycles; if the shutdown persists, delays could begin to appear as those cycles hit, Giglio said.

Addressing when the standoff might end, Giglio said there was no resolution in sight. He outlined a Capitol Hill dispute in which Democrats want any stopgap or full-year measure to extend health-exchange tax credits set to expire at the end of 2025 and to include language preventing the administration from freezing or terminating already-appropriated programs. He also noted the Senate’s 60-vote threshold complicates any agreement.

Giglio added that a “domino effect” could slow services even after the government reopens, as furloughed staff return and agencies work through backlogs. Committee members offered brief thanks for the overview.