"The Statue of Liberty may close as a result of the federal government shutdown. And if it does, New York Gov. Kathy Hochul said people should blame Republicans who control the federal government."
"The statue as well as Ellis Island were open on Wednesday, but Hochul said the state won't provide funding to ensure the monument stays open during the funding fight. That's a break from prior shutdowns, when former Gov. Andrew Cuomo committed state funds to keep Lady Liberty's torch burning."
""People need to see that there's consequences right now to what the Republicans have done, and definitely go to the polls next year," Hochul said. " We're not able to backfill this. ... Liberty Park may stay closed. Because people need to know where this came from.""
Federal funding lapses could force closure of the Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island after Congress failed to pass a new funding deal. New York declined to provide state funds to keep the monuments open during the shutdown, reversing prior responses that used state money. More than 100,000 federal workers in New York, including National Park Service staff at Liberty and Ellis islands, will temporarily go without pay. The shutdown also threatens funding for programs such as Head Start and food assistance. Previous shutdowns in 2013 and 2018 were mitigated by roughly $1.5 million in state spending to maintain operations.
Read at WRVO Public Media
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