US government shutdown: Hundreds of thousands of employees without pay, tourists shut out
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According to Xinhua News Agency, the U.S. federal government entered a shutdown on the 1st after the Senate rejected a temporary funding bill. Approximately 750,000 federal employees were forced to take unpaid leave due to the shutdown, bringing many public services to a standstill, impacting national parks and the aviation system. Many tourists expressed disappointment at the disruption to their travel plans.
Employees furloughed, facing potential layoffs
According to Reuters, the U.S. federal government shutdown has forced approximately 750,000 federal employees to take unpaid leave, while other personnel, such as military personnel and border patrol officers, who cannot leave their posts, are temporarily working without pay.
U.S. Vice President Cyril Vance warned on the 1st that a prolonged federal shutdown could lead to layoffs. White House spokesman Levitt said federal layoffs are "very likely" and will occur "soon."
According to an internal letter reviewed by Reuters, the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office, part of the U.S. Department of Commerce, plans to cut 1% of its 14,000 employees. Due to disagreements between Republicans and Democrats over Medicare-related welfare spending, the US Senate failed to pass a new temporary appropriations bill on September 30th before government funds ran out. The federal government shut down again on October 1st, after nearly seven years, at midnight (Eastern Time). Both parties are blaming each other for the situation.
The Senate again rejected a Republican-proposed temporary appropriations bill on the 1st, dashing hopes for a quick end to the federal government shutdown. According to Reuters, the US federal government has experienced several shutdowns before, but none have resulted in permanent layoffs.
Attractions Close, Tourists Away
Industry insiders had previously predicted that a prolonged US federal government shutdown could lead to the closure of many attractions, disrupting travel plans.
According to Agence France-Presse, a school tour group eager to visit the Capitol in Washington, D.C., was turned away on the 1st due to the US government shutdown. Outside the Capitol, tourists from around the world read a sign stating that the visitor center was closed due to a "funding interruption." Therese Johnston, 61, was visiting Washington, D.C., from California with her son and expressed disappointment that Congress failed to prevent the shutdown. "I think the government needs to learn how to work together for the people... This problem should have been solved long ago; we shouldn't have been in this situation."
Iconic sites like the Washington Monument were also closed to visitors on the 1st due to staffing shortages.
Martina Ruault, from France, was traveling in the United States with her husband and hoped that attractions would reopen by the end of their three-day trip. "With so much to see, it's really frustrating if visitors can't see it because there aren't staff... It's a shame if the country shuts itself down."
According to the Associated Press, the shutdown has forced unpaid leave for approximately two-thirds of the National Park Service employees, which manages more than 400 sites. According to a contingency plan released by the Park Service late on September 30th, park roads, viewpoints, trails, and open-air memorials will generally remain open to visitors. However, parks lacking accessible areas will be closed, and already open areas may also be closed if park resources are damaged or garbage accumulates.
Due to the government shutdown, attractions such as the Liberty Bell in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and Vicksburg National Military Park in Mississippi have closed. The Smithsonian Institution, which operates several museums, will use remaining funds from the previous year to remain open until the 6th.
Staffing Shortage Threatens Aviation
AFP reported that aviation industry groups urged the US government on the 1st to quickly break the budget deadlock, warning that the government shutdown is putting pressure on air travel.
According to the US Department of Transportation's plan, more than 11,000 of the Federal Aviation Administration's more than 44,000 employees have been forced to take unpaid leave, while more than 13,000 US air traffic controllers and thousands of other personnel in critical safety positions will temporarily be required to work without pay. According to the Associated Press, the Transportation Security Administration and the Federal Aviation Administration are already facing staffing shortages. If the number of booked flights overwhelms the system, the FAA will be forced to slow down aircraft takeoffs and landings, leading to more flight delays or cancellations. In a statement, Jeff Freeman, president and CEO of the U.S. Travel Association, warned that the longer the government shutdown lasts, the more likely it is to see long lines at airport security, flight delays, and cancellations. Nick Daniels, president of the union representing air traffic controllers, said the shutdown has increased workloads for controllers and led to the layoffs of many employees responsible for logistics and maintaining outdated systems, weakening the aviation safety system. Daniels said, "We are severely understaffed right now. We have only 10,800 employees on the payroll, the lowest level in decades, compared to the current staffing level of 14,633. Furthermore, employees are using unreliable equipment."