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But what does a "partial shutdown" actually mean for Vermonters?

Social Security: Those checks will continue to be mailed out in what is a largely automated process. Military: The active-duty military will remain on the job, and military operations in places like Afghanistan would continue. Guidance from the Defense Department issued on Friday said military personnel would not be paid � neither would necessary civilian personnel. In previous shutdowns, training missions were curtailed. Military contractors would not be affected, as long as their work has already been funded. Veterans Affairs: Ever since a scare about veterans not getting their health care during the last government shutdown, the Veterans Health Administration has been getting its funding appropriated in advance. According to the VA, 95.5 percent of its employees are exempted from a shutdown and would come to work. So the VA says it will suffer no effects from a shutdown. Mail delivery: The post office will be open, and your mail will be delivered, because the U.S. Postal Service has its own revenue stream. Travel: Air traffic controllers, Transportation Security Administration officers and Customs and Border Protection agents would remain on the job, so air travel should be mostly unaffected. National parks: In the one major departure from the last shutdown, the Interior Department says it will work to keep national parks and other public lands "as accessible as possible." During the last shutdown, the National Park Service's closing of parks and the national monuments in Washington, D.C., was controversial and led to an angry group of visiting seniors to push aside barriers at the National World War II Memorial. Legislation: Congress would continue to operate, as they work to end a shutdown, although the Capitol may not be open to tours. And fear not: Lawmakers will continue to receive their pay, although some lower-level staffers may not. Federal agencies: Most federal agencies would be closed, like the Department of Education and the IRS, although some of their essential functions will continue to operate.