Time is running out for the federal government to avert a shutdown.

The Republican-controlled House had been unable through Friday afternoon to pass funding bills that accommodate the demands of the party’s far-right faction, and a Saturday deadline looms.

If a funding bill package is not reached and approved by the Democratic-controlled Senate, the federal government will be shut down starting Sunday, leading to many federal employees being furloughed, potential problems at local food banks, training and new hiring freezes, and delays to social services such as passport renewals and firearm licenses.

Pennsylvania has about 72,000 federal workers and, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, more than 19,000 of them live in the Pittsburgh region. Those workers won’t get their paychecks on time if a shutdown occurs.

Federal workers include Transportation Security Administration workers at airports, mail carriers, railroad and transportation inspectors, congressional staff deemed nonessential workers and others.

There are 1,487 TSA workers and 271 air traffic control staff in Pennsylvania who would be forced to work without pay if a shutdown occurs.

Federal court employees, like those who work in the federal courthouse in Downtown Pittsburgh, should be able to operate for the first two weeks of October without issue, according to the Associated Press.

If the shutdown lasted for more than a few days, then funding for women and children’s supplemental nutrition programs, called WIC, would run out, putting more than 22,000 Pittsburghers at risk.

A total of 177,335 people receive WIC benefits in Pennsylvania, including 39,331 women, 97,269 children and 40,735 infants.

U.S. Rep. Summer Lee, D-Swissvale, said she has more than 61,000 constituents who are food insecure in her district, which covers the city of Pittsburgh, eastern and southern Allegheny County suburbs, and communities in western Westmoreland County.

“In times of government shutdowns, we’ve witnessed the overwhelming surge in demand at local food banks, many reaching out their hands for the first time, seeking a much-needed lifeline in a sea of uncertainty,” Lee said.

She said households receiving Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program food benefits could also face delays and confusion over ACCESS card funds if a government shutdown persists. She said the last partial government shutdown that lasted 35 days in 2018 led to the disruptions in loading funds.

There are more than 133,000 SNAP recipients in the Pittsburgh metro area, according to 2022 Census estimates.

Additionally, more than 2,400 active military personnel in Pennsylvania would not be paid during a government shutdown, according to the office of U.S. Rep. Chris Deluzio, D-Aspinwall.

Deluzio, a Navy veteran, said a shutdown could restrict certain Veterans Affairs services like outreach, career counseling and transition assistance. There are nearly 127,000 veterans in the Pittsburgh metro area, according to Census figures.

Congress could pass a continuing resolution to avoid a shutdown, which would temporarily provide stopgap funding to the government.

But, hard-line conservatives in the Republican caucus don’t support a continuing resolution, and House Speaker Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif., has not been able to get them on board.

The group includes far-right members from the House’s Freedom Caucus, including U.S. Reps. Scott Perry, R-Pa., and Chip Roy, R-Texas. This group also has the support from former President Donald Trump.

Local U.S. Rep. Mike Kelly, R-Butler, is a Trump supporter but supports McCarthy’s efforts and his earlier legislation. His spokesman Mathhew Knoedler said that bill would allow for trillions of dollars in savings over the next decade.

“Rep. Kelly remains incredibly concerned about the fiscal path our nation is on,” Knoedler said. “Right now, the future of that deal is being threatened. We have been working to avoid a shutdown, and we are hopeful that a final budget agreement can be reached soon.”

Lee said that Republicans’ spending bill proposals include cuts that are too steep and will hurt Pennsylvania families by decreasing funds for heating low-income homes, cutting money for early childhood education and eliminating employment grants, among other things.

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