WASHINGTON – On the first full day of the government shutdown Wednesday, downtown Washington remained lively.
Many in the federal workforce remained on the job, though nationwide roughly 750,000 are expected to be furloughed.
Tourists still flocked to the monuments and museums. But the National Zoo and other sites may only manage to stay open a few more days until funding runs out.
At the White House, President Donald Trump and top aides vowed mass layoffs unless Democrats give up demands to restore health care subsidies for millions of Americans.
“Two days, imminent, very soon,” White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said about when layoffs of federal workers may begin. “There are unfortunate consequences to a federal shutdown.”
At the Capitol, tours were suspended.
Across the nation, furloughed workers faced uncertainty. Those deemed essential face the prospect of having to work without getting paid until the standoff ends.
But at the outset of the shutdown, the impact on the public was muted.
“It’s been normal from what I’ve seen,” said Brian Cable, visiting the Vietnam Veterans Memorial with his father, Wayne, who served in Vietnam in 1969 and 1970.
The Cables were part of a one-day Honor Flight visit with more than 100 others who flew in from Greensboro, N.C. The veterans and their relatives or caregivers arrived at the memorials in four buses.
“It’s been great. It’s eye-opening,” the younger Cable said. “You see all this. It’s a lot that people sacrifice.”
The group also visited the World War II Memorial and planned to stop at Arlington National Cemetery before returning to North Carolina.
Cable said he had not noticed any disruptions.
Nor did Bill Colvin, another Vietnam veteran. “No impact yet, so far,” he said.
Shutdown impact
Apart from federal workers who have already felt the impact acutely, the shutdown’s effects may take a bit of time to see.
Federal courts have enough reserve funding to stay open until Oct. 17, and the Internal Revenue Service can use funds from the Inflation Reduction Act of 2022 to pay employee salaries until Oct. 5.
In Washington, the Capitol Visitor Center is closed to the public during the shutdown. So is the Library of Congress. Online inquiries to the library will not be monitored.
The Environmental Protection Agency will halt civil inspections, except in cases of “imminent threat to human life,” according to the EPA.
The National Weather Service will continue issuing weather warnings and forecasts, but all outreach activities and tours have been postponed or canceled.
Nationwide, some national parks will remain open under a contingency plan released Tuesday by the National Park Service.
But the NPS intends to furlough 64% of its workforce and many parks will close in coming days, especially where recreation fees don’t cover operation costs.
Open-air national monuments such as the Lincoln Memorial will also remain accessible to visitors. But indoor facilities will close.
At many parks, services like restroom maintenance and trash collection will be suspended, the NPS plan says.
Tammy Oh, a tourist from South Korea, was visiting the National Gallery of Art with family on Wednesday.
The museum, along the National Mall, posted a notice on its website saying it will be open as usual through Saturday – but anyone planning a visit after that should check the site for updates.
Oh said she “feels lucky” that her family got in despite the shutdown. It would sadden her if the museum turns away visitors, she said, “because it’s an asset for humanity. I mean, and we get to see really good art for free.”
Oh said she was nervous about visiting the United States because of the anger and violence she’s seen on news reports. Those anxieties have faded, but now she is worried that a shutdown will interrupt her travel or make flying home more difficult.
“It could cause us trouble,” she said.
Other museumgoers expressed optimism that the first shutdown in six years won’t last nearly as long as the last one, which took 35 days to resolve.
“I believe it will open up,” said Maruf Ahmed, a Maryland resident who was visiting the gallery with family. “This nation is resilient, so I believe it will be back on track as soon as possible.”
The Smithsonian museums and the National Zoo – top attractions in the capital – have enough prior funding to stay open until next Monday, the Smithsonian said Wednesday.
Many other government services are expected to continue despite the shutdown.
- Medicare and Medicaid: Payments will continue. New applications are likely to face delays.
- Social Security: Retirement and disability payments will continue uninterrupted. New applications will face delays.
- U.S. Postal Service: The mail will still be delivered and post offices will remain open.
- Air travel and security: Delays are possible, especially as the impasse persists, if unpaid air traffic controllers stop coming to work. Travelers may also face longer than usual security lines, also due to staffing shortages. During the 35-day shutdown in 2018 and early 2019, Transportation Security Administration officers called out of work at higher rates than usual.
- Food inspections and safety: Food inspections and lab testing will continue, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s contingency plan.
- Veterans benefits: Veterans benefits will continue to be delivered. VA medical centers will remain open and burials at veteran cemeteries will continue. But workers will have to wait until the budget standoff ends to get paid.
- Customs and Border Protection: CBP will continue to conduct cargo inspections but travelers may experience longer lines at ports of entry.
- Immigration and Customs Enforcement: Deportation operations will proceed uninterrupted, according to ICE.
One Australian tourist who arrived in Washington on Wednesday said delays getting through customs seemed excessive already.
“I don’t think they had enough … agents,” said Abhinav Chawla, carrying his backpack at the National Air and Space Museum. “Lots of long queues.”
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