While it appears that the federal government shutdown ended early Monday afternoon with Senate approval of a stopgap spending plan, the 72-hour situation didn't affect county agencies too much.

Dwight Boddorf, the public affairs officer at the Abie Abraham VA Health Center, said no programs, services or employees were affected by the shutdown.

He said the VA is funded a year in advance, so funds are in place for all services provided at the VA.

“We are looking at many months before it would be a concern for any of our veterans,” Boddorf said. “Most other VA facilities are in the same boat.”

County Sheriff Mike Slupe initially thought the shutdown had prevented gun permits from being issued, but quickly realized Monday morning that a glitch in the statewide system had shut down the computer program that allows gun permits to be processed.

Slupe took down the signs he had placed near the elevators at the county government building saying that no gun permits could be issued because of the shutdown.

“So we've had no effect,” Slupe said of the brief shutdown.

Ed Mauk, CEO of the Housing and Redevelopment Authority of Butler County, said his organization had received its federal funding for January and disbursed it to the landlords whose dwellings are partially funded by Section 8.

He also had received the federal funding for the county's low-income public housing program, which sees tenants pay a portion of the rent. The federal funds pay the difference between the rent paid and the cost to operate the program and its facilities.

Mauk said the authority receives and distributes about $175,000 to landlords to help some 1,300 clients with rent each month.

The authority receives about $60,000 per month in federal funding to subsidize its public housing costs. The authority has about 450 families using its many housing facilities throughout the county, Mauk said.

He said Monday morning that he was not too upset about the shutdown because they are normally brief.

“If February rolls around, it could delay funding,” he said.

Leslie Osche, chairman of the county commissioners, was still trying to determine Monday morning what, if any, essential services in the county could be affected by the shutdown.

“No one has said 'panic', but no one understands yet what the consequences could be,” Osche said.

The Senate on Monday afternoon passed a temporary spending bill that lasts until Feb. 8.

U.S. Rep. Mike Kelly, R-3rd, was incensed Monday afternoon that the shutdown occurred in the first place.

Kelly accused Democratic New York Sen. Chuck Schumer of holding the Republican spending plan hostage by insisting it protect the “Dreamers” who were brought to the United States as young children and are now facing deportation.

He said more than 18,000 children in his district rely on the Children's Health Initiative Program, plus active military and veterans would have been affected by the shutdown.

“This is not immigration reform,” Kelly said. “To me it's a mystery why somebody would put people who are here illegally in front of the American citizens.”