If the government shuts down, essential services remain in place, but others will be stopped or delayed. Here are some ways a government shutdown could affect people living in Central Florida.

Veterans whom the government declares incapable of managing their own affairs would have easier access to firearms under spending legislation expected to be signed by President Joe Biden in the coming days.

One of the largest-ever expansions to veterans' healthcare means millions more will be eligible for VA health care years sooner

Hundreds of thousands of veterans have received additional benefits in the past year after President Joe Biden signed legislation expanding coverage for conditions connected to burn pits that were used to destroy trash and potentially toxic materials.

The federal government wrote duplicate checks to doctors who provided care for veterans, costing taxpayers as much as $128 million in extra payments, according to a new watchdog report out this week.

Now, the governor says he also doesn’t support hospitals requiring their staff members to get vaccinated.

The Department of Veterans Affairs has became the first major federal agency to require health care workers to get COVID-19 vaccines.

ORLANDO, Fla. – Veterans of any age are now eligible for the coronavirus vaccine at two Veterans Affairs locations in Orange County, according to the Orlando VA. The Orlando VA Healthcare Center, which covers most of Central Florida, said it is vaccinating all veterans of any age who receive VA care at the Orlando and Lake Baldwin locations. The shots are being offered at all four sites through appointments and some walk-ins. People must already receive care through the VA or be eligible to receive care there in order to get the vaccine. Use the form below to sign up for the ClickOrlando.com 4pm Trending newsletter, sent every weekday.

FILE - This June 21, 2013, file photo, shows the seal affixed to the front of the Department of Veterans Affairs building in Washington. (AP Photo/Charles Dharapak, File)ORLANDO, Fla. – The Florida Department of Veterans’ Affairs is working to identify veterans of World War II and the Korean War who need transportation to get the coronavirus vaccine. Ron DeSantis directed the Florida Department of Health and the Florida Division of Emergency Management to coordinate with Veterans’ Affairs to identify veterans of World War II and the Korean War who are unable to travel to receive a vaccine. Orange, Seminole and Osceola county residents can get free rides to the Orange County Convention Center vaccine site and Osceola County residents can also get transportation to the Osceola County vaccine location. Those who live outside Orange County can reach 311 by calling 407-836-3111.

FILE - This June 21, 2013, file photo, shows the seal affixed to the front of the Department of Veterans Affairs building in Washington. (AP Photo/Charles Dharapak, File)ORLANDO, Fla. – Veterans Affairs hospitals in Florida and South Georgia are in need of pharmacy technicians, many of whom will help administer COVID-19 vaccines to vulnerable veterans in the coming months. The VA Sunshine Healthcare Network said in a news release it is hosting a virtual job fair on Wednesday from noon to 6 p.m. 7]AdAccording to the VA, Sunshine Healthcare Network serves 79 counties across Florida, South Georgia, Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands that includes more than 1.5 million veterans. According to the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs COVID-19 vaccine database, the Orlando VA Medical Center system, which includes locations throughout Central Florida, has administered 19,455 first doses to veterans and 8,762 second doses.

FILE - In this July 7, 2016, file photo, national security adviser Susan Rice on the South Lawn of the White House in Washington. President-elect Joe Biden is naming Susan Rice as director of the White House Domestic Policy Council. The move marks a surprising shift for Rice, a longtime Democratic foreign policy expert who served as President Barack Obama’s national security adviser and U.N. ambassador. In selecting Rice and McDonough, Biden is continuing to stockpile his administration with prominent members of the Obama administration. In choosing Rice to oversee the White House council, advisers said Biden is signaling the importance of domestic policy in his early agenda.

The VA is not the same VA as four years ago, insisted acting VA deputy secretary Pam Powers, pointing to increased outreach to women and improved trust ratings in the VA from employees and patients alike according to internal polling. His effort seeks to reinforce a call by top Democratic and Republican leaders of the House and Senate Veterans Affairs Committee last week for a faster timeline. About 1 in 3 VA employees said they witnessed an act of sexual harassment. Overall, an estimated 26% of female and 14% of male VA employees experienced harassment during the two-year period. A study released by the VA last year found 1 in 4 women veterans using VA health care reported inappropriate comments by male veterans on VA grounds, raising concerns they may delay or miss their treatments.

(AP Photo/Evan Vucci)WASHINGTON President Donald Trump is unveiling a long-awaited national plan Wednesday to stem a persistently high number of veteran suicides, with wide-ranging initiatives from firearm safety and wellness programs at workplaces to added barriers near railroads and bridges. Still, it remained unclear how much of the plan could result in immediate concrete action, especially in a presidential election year. Much of the effort will need congressional action as well as cooperation from governors and local groups juggling priorities of public safety and health in a pandemic. Currently, about 20 veterans die by suicide each day, about 1.5 times higher than those who havent served in the military. In particular, younger veterans and women generally were more skeptical of Trump, who received multiple draft deferments to avoid going to Vietnam.

FILE - In this March 27, 2019, file photo Veterans Affairs Secretary Robert Wilkie, left, speaks with Veterans Health Administration Executive in Charge, Dr. Richard Stone, second from left, before a House Appropriations subcommittee hearing on Capitol Hill in Washington. To handle a possible second wave of COVID-19, it would need a six-month supply. A future pandemic wave may test all of us in our preparation, Stone told the Senate Veterans Affairs Committee. The Associated Press previously reported that VA health care facilities struggled with shortages of workers and protective equipment, forcing employees to reuse masks for days or weeks, even as VA leaders denied that it lacked adequate supplies. As of Tuesday, VA had 1,665 staff cases of COVID-19, including 133 that were considered active. At least 33 VA employees have died of the virus, according to VA data.