(The Center Square) – Congress has until the end of today to avoid a shutdown, a deadline closely watched in Virginia and Maryland.
About 350,000 Virginians work in civilian federal jobs, one of the highest totals in the country, according to the Commonwealth Institute. The commonwealth also has more than 122,000 active-duty service members as of June 2025 and about 25,500 in the National Guard and reserves.
That’s 1 in every 13 civilian workers, the second-highest ratio nationwide, according to the Commonwealth Institute.
The Congressional Budget Office said as many as 750,000 federal employees nationwide could be furloughed each day, at a daily cost of $400 million in delayed compensation. Active-duty military would continue working but would not be paid until appropriations are enacted.
Virginia is home to about 675,000 military veterans, according to the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, which said 97% of its employees would continue working during a shutdown. Medical centers, outpatient clinics and crisis lines would remain open, and benefits payments would continue.
However, several services would be suspended. Those include career counseling, transition assistance programs, GI Bill hotlines, and new applications for burials or headstones at national cemeteries, according to the department.
Maryland is also home to tens of thousands of federal workers. Rep. Sarah Elfreth, D-Md., said more than 44,000 people in her district could be affected by a shutdown. She warned of delays in Social Security services, SNAP benefits, small business loans, and veterans’ disability claims, but said her offices will remain open to help residents.
Political leaders in Virginia offered competing messages. Gov. Glenn Youngkin wrote on X that “this Schumer Shutdown hurts Virginia and America” and urged residents to pressure Virginia Democratic Sens. Mark Warner and Tim Kaine to back a short-term spending bill.
Sen. Mark Warner said Republicans are misrepresenting the debate: “The White House keeps saying this is about health care for immigrants. That’s an outright lie and a blatant attempt to distract you from the fact that they’re trying to increase all our premiums – no matter what insurance you have.”
Rep. Jen Kiggans, R-Va., also criticized the potential shutdown. “Democrats are willing to shutdown the federal government and harm working families to placate their radical, far left base. This is unacceptable and puts our national security in jeopardy,” she said.
Essential services like Social Security, Medicare, the postal service, and airport security would continue operating. But other programs, including passport processing, small business loans, and national parks, would be suspended until funding resumes.
The 2018–2019 shutdown lasted 35 days, the longest in U.S. history. The CBO estimated it reduced gross domestic product by $11 billion, with about $3 billion in losses never recovered.
