© Pixabay The state will not pay for her work during the shutdown.
The Statue of Liberty could close due to a federal government shutdown. And if that happens, New York Governor Katie Gokul says the responsibility will lie with Republicans who control the federal government, according to local publication Gothamist.
For now, the Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island remain open, but Gokul said the state will not provide funds to maintain them this time, a departure from previous government shutdowns, when then-Governor Andrew Cuomo paid for the costs to keep the “light of Liberty” up.
Gokul said more than 100,000 federal employees in New York, including National Park Service workers who maintain the Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island, will go without pay after Congress failed to pass a new budget on Tuesday. She also warned that other programs, including Head Start and food stamps, are also at risk.
“This is frankly terrible. And it’s wrong,” she stressed.
The governor spoke against the backdrop of the Statue of Liberty, which has become a symbol of her press conference on Wednesday morning, hours after the shutdown began. She said that the controversy in Washington may temporarily close access to the monument, but its message – to remain a symbol of hope for immigrants – will not disappear.
“People need to realize the consequences of what the Republicans have done and make a choice in next year’s election. We can’t replace federal funds — Freedom Park could remain closed. And it’s important that everyone knows whose fault it is,” Gokul said.
It is currently unknown whether the monument’s lighting will be turned off if the island is closed.
For comparison: During the government shutdowns of 2013 and 2018, Andrew Cuomo, then the state’s governor, allocated New York City funds to keep the landmark open. At the time, it cost about $1.5 million, or about $65,000 per day.
“I believe that federal government dysfunction should neither dim the lights of the Statue of Liberty nor close its doors. I was proud that New York took it upon itself — and it was the right decision then, and I think the same today,” Cuomo said.
Meanwhile, a standoff continues in Congress: Democrats, led by Senator Chuck Schumer, have blocked a Republican bill that would have allowed the government to be funded for several weeks. They insist on restoring health insurance subsidies. Republicans, on the other hand, accuse Democrats of breaking the agreement.
Republican Congresswoman Nicole Malliotakis, who represents Staten Island and part of Brooklyn, said:
“Our government was shut down by Democrats who continue to play political games, undermining the military and public services that Americans depend on.”
As Politico reported, the shutdown will cost the US $15 billion each week.