A looming government shutdown spells temporary doom for many federal workers and important services that millions of Americans have come to expect.

The House on Thursday rejected a deal backed by President-elect Donald Trump that would have kept the government's doors open, with dozens of Republicans joining with Democrats to vote against the proposal. That bill itself was a slimmed-down version of a bipartisan plan to avoid a government shutdown that Trump and his allies came out against earlier in the week.

If funding is not extended by midnight Friday, then the government will shutdown until an agreement is reached, leaving hundreds of thousands of federal workers without jobs and many services suspended.

However, not everything comes to a standstill. Employees whose jobs are deemed essential, such as law enforcement and air traffic controllers, will still report for duty, and many crucial services and programs will remain operational.

For military veterans concerned about their benefits and medical care, there's good news, as those payments and services will continue. Under a contingency plan the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs put out in January, veterans' access to healthcare, other benefits and even memorial services won't be impeded.

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Here's what to know:

Government shutdown live updates:Congress scrambles to make deal before midnight

What Veterans Affairs programs would continue in a shutdown?

The VA completed an analysis early this year of how previous government shutdowns impacted the department, finding that some benefits and payments were delayed.

In order to prevent similar lapses if another government shutdown were to happen, the department revised its contingency plan in which it identified core functions and programs that would continue to operate with advance appropriations.

Among essential services that would continue in the event of a shutdown are:

• Medical care
• Compensation and pension benefits
• Housing programs
• Burial services
• Veterans Crisis line and suicide prevention programs
• Caregiver support

VA employees largely exempt from furloughs

The contingency plan found that the vast majority of VA employees, 96%, would be fully funded or required to report to work during a shutdown. That means, of the department's approximately 458,000 employees, just about 18,000 of them could be furloughed, meaning they won't work and won't be paid.

In the case of a government shutdown, those workers are put on leave because there isn't money budgeted for their job. The good news is that furloughed employees who are not allowed to work or who do not receive paychecks are still guaranteed back pay due to legislation passed in January 2019.

What Veterans Affairs activities will cease?

While Veterans Affairs will continue to process veterans' benefits, other services that they count on may temporarily be unavailable. That includes some education and job training programs and support for veteran-owned businesses.

The department's contingency plan outlines a host of services and functions that will cease, including things like administrative functions, human resources duties and some IT work that most veterans are unlikely to notice.

Here are some other services that will cease until a shutdown would end:

• Duties carried out by the Office of Accountability and Whistleblower Protection (OAWP) to review an invetigate reports of misconduct or poor performance.

• Public affairs services provided by the Office of Public and Intergovernmental Affairs (OPIA), including interacting with the media and providing news releases.

Eric Lagatta covers breaking and trending news for USA TODAY. Reach him at [email protected]