United States government shutdown disrupts US territories

On the night of September 30, the United States government went into shutdown for the first time in nearly seven years. This was the result of the Senate’s inability to pass the House-approved Continuing Appropriations and Extensions Act, 2026, HR 5371, which requires 60 votes to advance. 

The House bill was intended to allow time for ongoing negotiations on 12 major bills by extending government funding through November 21 of this year. As a result of the bill not passing, over 1.4 million federal employees were on unpaid leave or working without pay. Since then, multiple delegates from the US territories have issued formal statements on the impacts of this shutdown on their constituents. 

In the US Virgin Islands, Delegate Stacey Plaskett (D) issued a statement on September 30, urging for bipartisan solutions.  

“A government shutdown will disrupt critical services that all Americans depend on,” said Plaskett,  ”including disaster recovery efforts, passport services, support for small businesses, and healthcare programs. Federal workers will go without paychecks while trying to support their families.” 

Similarly, Resident Commissioner Pablo José Hernández (D) of Puerto Rico issued a statement highlighting the severe impacts of the government shutdown on the archipelago. 

In a statement issued before Congress, he recalls: “Let there be no doubt: Puerto Ricans are among the hardest hit by a government shutdown. They rely on limited funding for food assistance from the National Action Party (PAN), power grid maintenance and recovery funds are delayed, our courts are backed up, and essential services that sustain our communities are disrupted.”  

Consequently, over 6,00 Puerto Ricans participated in the resident commissioner’s first telephone conversation on the federal shutdown. The call focused on answering the questions of local residents worried about how the shutdown would impact their jobs, families, vital programs, and disaster recovery assistance. 

On this hour-long call, Hernández stated, “For my part, as resident commissioner, I have been focused on defending the interests of our federal employees in Puerto Rico. I have been focused on collaborating with colleagues to ensure that there is a solution to most of the problems that have arisen as a result of this shutdown… In the case of Puerto Rico, specifically, there are approximately 15,000 employees affected, and the federal workforce has been reduced.” Hernández went on to speak with many different individuals calling from around Puerto Rico. 

The resident commissioner explained how programs like Social Security, PAN, Medicare, Medicaid, and WIC are still operating, but could be affected if the shutdown lasts past October. The town hall had over 29 questions queued when time ran out, and Hernández’s team promised to summarize the main concerns and share follow-up information to help citizens. 

In American Samoa, Delegate Uifa’atali Amata Coleman Radewagen (R) stated that she “continue[s] to disagree with the Senate vote that shut down the federal government in the first place, as [she] believe[s] that health care priorities…are best solved with bipartisan dialogue while the government is open and at work for all Americans.” 

Despite the uncertainty, territorial leaders continue to call for bipartisan cooperation and renewed attention to the needs of island communities. Whether through improved federal coordination or expanded local resilience, the hope remains that future shutdowns will no longer threaten the essential services that millions of Americans, on and off the mainland United States, depend on.