— Wednesday is the first day of a government shutdown, after the Senate failed to pass a spending bill by midnight, keeping the government funded. "I left Savannah early because I was worried about what the impact of the shutdown might be." Approximately 61,000 of the agency’s 64,000 employees are considered excepted or exempt, and TSA will continue operations to keep the traveling public safe. While TSA is prepared to continue screening about 2.5M passengers a day, an extended shutdown could mean longer wait times at airports. A Social Security Administration (SSA) spokesperson sent ABC57 the following statement:"The Social Security Administration (SSA) will follow the contingency plan for continued activities, and Social Security beneficiaries will continue receiving their Social Security, Social Security Disability Insurance, and SSI payments."