The United States federal government has been in partial shutdown since December 22, 2018 and has continued into the New Year with no end in sight. According to CNBC, "The ongoing stalemate between Trump and congressional Democrats over funding several government agencies entered its 17th day Monday, January 7th, making this government shutdown the third-longest in U.S. history." President Donald Trump demanded $5 billion in federal funds to build a new U.S.- Mexico border wall and with the refusal by Congress to meet this demand, he is prepared for the partial government shutdown to continue for months.
A government shutdown affects all workers employed by the government. Essential work like mail delivery and law enforcement continues, but according to The New York Times, "the shutdown has affected the operations of nine departments, including Homeland Security, Justice, State and Treasury, and several agencies, including the Environmental Protection Agency and NASA." But, how exactly does the government shutdown affect the New York region?
Our daily life as a New Yorker honestly has not changed that much. Trains and subways are still running and non-government employees are still continuing their business as usual. However, that doesn't mean public transit won't be affected in the future. The MTA has already lost an estimated $150 million in federal funding since the shutdown.
New York State has fortunately contributed money to help keep the state running. Ellis Island and the Statue of Liberty remain open to visitors due to state funding. Nevertheless, any national musesums such as the Smithsonian Cooper Hewitt and the National Museum of the American Indian will remain closed until the shutdown resolves.
Other historical sites that are closed in New York include: the Vanderbilt Mansion, African Burial Ground, Federal Hall, Franklin D. Roosevelt's house, among many others. Some historic places such as the Appalachian Trail and Sagamore Hill remain open, but without visitor services.