Today Governor Josh Stein released a statement highlighting the impacts of the federal government shutdown across North Carolina and urging leaders in Washington to return to the negotiating table.
“The longer the federal government remains shut down, the more North Carolinians will be hurt – military and federal workers who deserve stable paychecks, millions of families and children who are struggling to put food on the table, and folks in western North Carolina who are counting on us for their recovery from Hurricane Helene. Leaders in Washington must come back to the negotiating table to reopen the government, stop health care premiums from skyrocketing, and ensure stability for hardworking people across the state and the country.
“Here in North Carolina, it’s similar story. Republicans in Raleigh have yet to pass a comprehensive budget, leaving Medicaid recipients and providers, teachers, law enforcement, and state employees in the lurch. People are tired of federal and state government dysfunction disrupting their lives and causing chaos. It’s time for all elected officials to do their jobs and get government working like it should – for the people.”
The federal shutdown and impasse in Washington are impacting North Carolinians in every corner of the state:
- Military & Veterans: The state’s U.S. servicemembers, who have sacrificed so much on behalf of this nation, depend on receiving stable paychecks like everyone else who is an employee. This week, 841 personnel in the North Carolina National Guard missed their paychecks, and paychecks for all the approximately 90,000 active-duty servicemembers and National Guardsmen in North Carolina are at risk on October 31 if Congress does not act. Community college military tuition assistance may also be revoked at the end of the month.
- Families & Children: Without government action, North Carolina families may struggle to feed their children. SNAP and WIC benefits are potentially in jeopardy at the end of October. NCDHHS does not currently have funding to continue WIC benefits past early November, and there is no certainty that more funding is coming. The department also received a letter from the USDA warning that SNAP benefits could be disrupted in November if the federal shutdown continues. More than 1.4 million people in North Carolina rely on SNAP to help put nutritious and healthy food on the table, and WIC supports about 262,000 North Carolina women, infants, and children who rely on the program for access to nutritious food.
- Federal Employees: Approximately 80,000 federal workers living in North Carolina are facing lost pay and uncertainty about when their next paychecks will come. North Carolina state agencies have worked to minimize furloughs and program disruptions for federally funded positions, but that will become more difficult as the shutdown persists.
- Western North Carolina Recovery: An ongoing shutdown threatens North Carolina’s strong progress in recovery from Hurricane Helene. Western North Carolina farmers are not receiving expected USDA disaster aid reimbursements. Recovery programs that rebuild homes, cover flood insurance, and offer mental health care are at risk.
- Affordable Health Care: Without congressional action to extend the Affordable Care Act subsidies, 157,000 North Carolinians will become uninsured and another 888,000 will see their health care premiums double. The average Marketplace enrollee in North Carolina is expected to pay $672 more per year for the same health insurance. Rural residents will be hit even harder, paying $703 more per year. In rural eastern and western North Carolina, the counties of Dare, Hyde, Brunswick, Pamlico, and Transylvania would face the highest average loss of premium tax credits, paying more than $1,000 more per year.
For people impacted by the shutdown, there are resources available:
- The State of North Carolina has launched a new website to welcome talented and dedicated people to apply to work for the state. Interested public servants can apply on www.nc.gov/joinNC, where applicants will be connected with employment recruiters from the North Carolina Office of State Human Resources (OSHR) to help match their skills to job opportunities. Registration is open for the 2025 State of North Carolina Career Expo.
- Furloughed employees can explore temporary employment opportunities through Temporary Solutions and find support at OSHR’s Furlough Resource Center.
- Furloughed employees and their families may also access the Employee Assistance Program to seek guidance through the many challenges the shutdown causes.
- Federal workers affected by the shutdown can apply for unemployment benefits online or by calling 855-435-6969.