Thousands of federal workers furloughed. Food aid and veterans’ benefits at risk. Even the light in the Statue of Liberty’s torch could go dark now that the federal government has shut down.
With Lady Liberty in the background, New York’s top Democrats rallied in Lower Manhattan on Wednesday against the impact of the shutdown — and placed the blame squarely on the shoulders of congressional Republicans.
Gov. Kathy Hochul, a Democrat, said Republicans had sold out their constituents by refusing to negotiate with Democrats who wanted to extend expiring health care subsidies in exchange for keeping the government running.
“I want to be clear — this shutdown is a choice,” Ms. Hochul said. “In putting Donald Trump first, they put New Yorkers last.”
Officials say the effects are already beginning to be felt across the state: Air traffic controllers and Transportation Security Administration employees are working without pay, while hospitals wait in vain for federal reimbursements.
The longer the shutdown lasts, they say, the more people will be affected, including Social Security recipients and mothers, infants and children receiving assistance through federal programs like Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, the Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children and Head Start.
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The post Even the Statue of Liberty’s Torch Could Go Dark During the Shutdown appeared first on New York Times.
