Everything from applying for a visa to visiting Grant’s Tomb could be impossible if the federal government shuts down tomorrow.
The president and Congress members are squabbling over the nation’s budget. If an agreement is not hammered out by tomorrow, both the White House and Republican legislators threaten federal funds will be cut off.
Mayor Michael Bloomberg promised that some federal money, like checks for housing and medical benefits, will still trickle out, but in NYC — where 10 percent of revenue comes from Washington — officials warned of citywide shuttering.
Fordham political science professor Christina Greer told Metro a shutdown could impact any New Yorker waiting on government assistance, from mothers paying with food stamps to students waiting on federal loans.
“Lots of students are getting accepted to college right now and really need to base their decision on what a federal subsidy would look like,” she said.
Ellis Island, the Statue of Liberty and other national parks would close.
And New Yorkers hoping to travel might see their vacation dreams squashed. When the federal government shut down under then-President Bill Clinton in 1995, passport and visa offices closed.
Essential operations like public safety and public hospitals will remain open — and unfortunately, parking rules would remain in effect.
Follow Alison Bowen on Twitter at @AlisonatMetro.
