Walz says prolonged government shutdown could disrupt key services in Minnesota

The federal government shutdown hasn’t yet disrupted important services such as food assistance in Minnesota, but it could if it extends several weeks, state officials said Thursday.

State leaders are beginning to assess the impact of the first federal shutdown since 2019, as President Donald Trump and Congress remain at an impasse over funding to keep the government up and running. Democrats in Congress refused to vote for a GOP funding bill as they push for an extension of health care subsidies and reversal of Medicaid cuts.

The shutdown is putting thousands of federal workers at risk of furloughs and layoffs.

“It’s appropriate to note on this, with Republicans in full control of Congress, the inability to get a budget done is going to negatively impact Minnesotans,” DFL Gov. Tim Walz said at a news conference Thursday. “They have one-party rule. But you still need to make sure you ... compromise.”

“We have been through this before with this administration,” Walz added.

Parts of the federal government were closed for 35 days during the last shutdown more than six years ago, when Trump and Congress quarreled over funding for a U.S.-Mexico border wall.

The effects of this shutdown, however long it may be, could be further-reaching than the last as the Trump administration threatens mass firings and “irreversible cuts” to Democratic priorities.

“This whole idea that they see states as Democrats and Republicans, or they see areas as red or blue, is simply the most egregious violation of their oath,” Walz said.

So far, Minnesota budget director Ahna Minge said there haven’t been any interruptions to state-run programs and services. Most programs that rely on federal funding still have money left from previous allocations, she said, but that could change.

“As a shutdown goes on, programs will begin to exhaust those reserves and services will be impacted,” Minge said.

Minge said the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) and Women, Infants and Children (WIC) program, which provide food benefits to low-income Minnesotans, look like they will remain available through October. But “funds may not be available for November,” she said.

Minnesota also is home to about 18,000 federal workers, excluding the Postal Service. Most of those employees work for the Department of Veterans Affairs and the Department of Agriculture, Minge said. State leaders don’t yet know how many workers will be furloughed, but the federal agencies have given some signs.

Walz expressed frustration with the possible furloughs and program lapses, which he said could come as “these people [in Congress] are still receiving a paycheck.”

If federal funding runs out in certain programs, he said Minnesota won’t be able to make up the difference.