Federal government shutdown may soon impact region

By Ariana Crockett O’Harra |

The effects of the federal government shutdown could soon be felt in Nome and Western Alaska.

A press release from Governor Dunleavy’s office last week said that Medicaid, Title IV-E Foster Care, and Adoption Assistance will have funding. Some programs may be operating on automatic or advance funding, but “others may be affected depending on federal guidance and the availability of funds,” according to the press release.
Jeff Turner, Communications Director for the Office of the Governor said via email Tuesday that “WIC benefits will be covered by the state if federal funding expires during the shutdown. SNAP is a mandatory program that will also continue.”
WIC, short for Women, Infant, Children, is a special supplemental nutrition program for pregnant, nursing mothers and children up to 5-years old; SNAP provides food benefits to low-income families to supplement their grocery budget.

White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said in a post on X Tuesday morning that the administration plans to cover WIC costs during the shutdown using funding from tariff revenue.
“President Trump and the White House have identified a creative solution to transfer resources from Section 232 tariff revenue to this critical program,” she posted.
A U.S. Department of Commerce post indicated that although fishery monitoring, stock assessment, and survey work would be halted, the National Weather Service will continue 24/7 operations.
U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said in a press conference Monday that the Essential Air Service, which subsidizes flights to small communities that might not otherwise be serviced by air, could run out of funding as soon as Sunday, October 12.

“That money runs out this Sunday,” he said. “You don’t have roads in Alaska, they travel by air and a lot of these are small communities. Alaska will be impacted.”

However, on Wednesday, the Department of Transportation secured $41 million in additional funding to sustain the Essential Air Service program during the government shutdown through the end of October.
Little Diomede is the only community in the Bering Strait region being serviced by the Essential Air Service program. Pathfinder provides helicopter service to the island community.Pathfinder CEO Rogan Parker told the Nugget, "We're committed to continuing to provide services to Little Diomede to the best of our ability. The threat of the Essential Air Service funding gap or lapses--it would make that incredibly difficult." He said that without the subsidies, the company would be donating flight time, which would be over a long period of time unsustainable. "We're committed to continuing to do everything we can to support them out there, but without the Essential Air Service funding, I'm not sure how that's possible," Parker said. 

Senator Dan Sullivan said in a statement Tuesday that “I am actively working with the Secretary of Transportation and his team to ensure funding disruptions are avoided if at all possible, and to prioritize the safety and well-being of Alaskans.”

Senator Lisa Murkowski said on Talk of Alaska Tuesday morning that the funding of the Essential Air Service is a priority for her.
“Air Service is essential. We are all over this. The Secretary is working it. The delegation is working it. And my hope is that you’re not going to see a break in any regularly scheduled service,” she said. “With the government still closed, that clock is ticking, and we don’t have very much time between now and the 12th.”

While some local organizations are not immediately losing funding, the shutdown still affects their ability to have grants processed. Melanie Bahnke, President and CEO of Kawerak, said via email “In general, obligated funding remains safe and we can continue drawdowns, but new awards, continuations, reporting extensions, and approvals are delayed.”
Bahnke said in a phone call Tuesday that most of Kawerak’s federal grants are on a reimbursement basis. Head Start will not be closed.
“We’re not changing our operations because of the federal government shutdown,” she said.

Nome Eskimo Community Executive Director Emma Pate said that her organization is running into the same hold up – it’s not that funding has stopped, it’s that any new or pending grants they had applied for won’t be processed until the shutdown is over.

Nome Public Schools Superintendent Jamie Burgess said that the district participates in the National School Lunch Program, which reimburses them for the meals they serve to students. Nome schools serve breakfast and lunch, which she said costs about $25,000 a week.
The meal program is funded through the end of October, but if the government remains shut down, Nome schools can’t afford the cost.
“I don’t think we could afford to eat that cost,” Burgess said.

Some essential workers, like air traffic controllers, will work without pay. Others deemed not deemed essential are furloughed, which means their offices are closed and they’re not collecting paychecks. A notice from the Bering Land Bridge National Preserve states that the offices are closed, although the preserve itself is open.
“Staff are furloughed and not authorized to work during this time.  We will reopen as soon as possible once funding has been restored and normal operations resume.  The preserve is open,” reads the memo, which was sent out October 1.

Other planned events have been rescheduled or have gone forward without the federal workers who were supposed to present. The Seward Peninsula Subsistence Regional Advisory Council scheduled for October 1-2 is postponed.
A Strait Science presentation on harmful algal bloom scheduled for October 6 went ahead as planned without the presence of Kathi Lefebvre, a NOAA research biologist.
The Nugget reached out to Senator Lisa Murkowski and Rep. Nick Begich’s offices for comment and clarifications on which federal agencies shutdowns will affect Alaska and our region. The Nugget has not received answers by press time.

UPDATE: This article has been updated from the print version and reflects the development that the DOT found additional funding to keep EAS services funded through October, and also a comment from Pathfinder CEO Rogan Parker.

With reporting by Jenni Monet.