What a Government Shutdown Could Mean to You

After a tense week of back and forth legislative action between the House and Senate that
continued into the weekend, a federal budget standoff remains. Congress has less than six
hours to pass a funding bill to avoid a government shutdown an outcome that could be harmful
to many of our programs.
As Congress continues to exchange possible solutions, here is what has been accomplished
since Sunday morning:
The House passed a resolution to continue to fund government operations but only if the
Affordable Care Act is delayed by one year and other adjustments are made to medical
device taxes.
The White House released a statement saying the President would veto this bill in
its current form.
The Senate voted this afternoon 54-46 to reject this condition.
The House passed a bill by a vote of 423-0 to continue to pay military personnel in the
event of a shutdown.
The pressure is now back on the House to come up with a passable spending bill before
midnight tonight or the shutdown will be in effect beginning 12:01 AM Tuesday.
What Does This Mean For You and Your Program?
It means more funding uncertainty on top of the challenges you are already facing
sequestration, increased food and transportation costs, increased demand, smaller and fewer
donations, etc. The exact magnitude of the impact would likely be determined by the length of
the shutdown and final budget negotiation, but we could anticipate a delay in reimbursements for
meals and services if the shutdown persists.
Beyond The Shutdown
Even if a government shutdown is avoided, a new round of sequester cuts is currently scheduled
to take place in January, increasing the pressure on Meals on Wheels programs. If you havent
yet done so, please take our follow-up sequestration survey. It will help us update our story on
the national scale and advocate on your behalf to end sequestration in FY14 and for the eight
additional years it is scheduled to continue.
We believe that restoring funding to programs impacted by sequestration, such as Meals on
Wheels, is a no-brainer. We continue to make this case to the media, Members of Congress and
their staff, and we encourage you to do the same. Voice your opinion by sending your own letter
or calling your Representatives or Senators.
From: Meals On Wheels Association <erika@mowaa.org>
Subject: Washington Update - Federal Budget Standoff
Date: 30 September, 2013 6:07:34 PM EDT
To: Will Thomas <will@mowaa.org>
Reply-To: <erika@mowaa.org>

Lastly, we also want to make you aware that this week, if the government does stay open, the
Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP) Committee will consider an Older
Americans Act reauthorization bill. This major piece of legislation impacts nutrition services and
support for seniors throughout the country. Meals On Wheels Association staff will be sure to
keep you updated with the latest as it happens.
For any additional advocacy-related information, please contact Erika Kelly, Chief
Advocacy Officer at erika@mowaa.org or Will Thomas, Public Policy and Research
Associate at will@mowaa.org.
Meals On Wheels Association of America
413 N Lee Street, Alexandria, VA 22314
(P) 888.998.6325 | (F) 703.548.5274

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