For what it is worth, someone in my family initiated a passport renewal during the shutdown, and it was processed in a very timely fashion (four weeks with "routine" processing). I have no idea whether GE renewals and passport renewals are under the same government substructure; regardless, I renewed my passport just prior to the shutdown, using the same "routine" processing speed, and received the new one in a bit less than four weeks, samey-same as my family member during the shutdown.