Holcomb says Indiana is preparing for federal government shutdown as deadline looms

Gov. Eric Holcomb said he’s holding out hope that the federal government won’t shut down as a funding deadline looms this week.

Still, the governor said the state is bracing for it.

He said the state has been preparing for a shutdown and that government benefits such as SNAP — commonly called food stamps — can go about a month without disruption.

“This is avoidable, if cooler heads prevail,” Holcomb said.

A larger issue is the economic impact of a shutdown, combined with the restart of student loan payments and an auto workers strike that could soon reach Indiana.

READ MORE: What happens to health programs if the federal government shuts down?

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Holcomb said these issues are why the state is trying to diversify the companies and industries it attracts.

“We think that that will help us weather any cycle that may be closer,” Holcomb said.

In the most immediate impact, there are more than 22,000 federal employees in Indiana that could lose their pay during a shutdown.

Brandon is our Statehouse bureau chief. Contact him at bsmith@ipbs.org or follow him on Twitter at @brandonjsmith5.

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