The United States government shut down Oct. 1 as a result of partisan disagreements in Congress over extensions on access to healthcare subsidies. Because of this, there was a failure to fund the government by the end of the fiscal year. While this affects many functions at the national level, Arkansas is also seeing the impacts that the shutdown has at the local level.
All national parks have been shut down, including the Little Rock Central High School Historic Site Museum, Hot Springs National Park, and Buffalo National River. This also includes the William J. Clinton Presidential Library and Museum. While this impacts visitors, it also results in lost work, as employees are being furloughed or temporarily suspended because of economic conditions.
Additionally, Arkansans are also seeing the loss of different programs within the community, including the UAMS Head Start Program, which provides free child education for low-income families.
“UAMS has not received funding and approval to continue to operate Head Start after Oct. 31,” according to a statement from UAMS. “Unfortunately, this means that we must temporarily close our Head Start sites effective Nov. 1 and place 130 employees on temporary furlough.”
Another program impacted by a lack of funding is the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, or SNAP. This monthly payment provides food-purchasing assistance for low-income families as a way for them to maintain adequate nutrition and health. In total, 42 million Americans receive SNAP benefits, with approximately 240,000 of them being Arkansans. That is approximately 7.8% of Arkansas’ population. Funding for SNAP has fallen on the states for the time being, with Governor Sarah Huckabee Sanders allocating $500,000 to various food banks across Arkansas. This funding, however, does not reach the average cost as seen in the 2024 fiscal year, which was $10 million in federal funds per week.
As the shutdown continues, people across the country will continue to see how it will impact their communities and day-to-day lives.
We reached out to several employees from UAMS, National Historic Site, and the Clinton Center who have been furloughed, but they all declined an interview.
