Washington Suffers ‘Shutdown’ Firsthand Public Buildings Closed: Congressmen that caused the first U.S. Government Shutdown in 17 years on Tuesday have seen first hand the results of their disputes on Capital Hill : A strip of more than two miles of museums , monuments and government buildings throughout the National Mall with the doors closed .
With up to a million federal employees across the country forced to stay home without pay, the impact of the closure has been concentrated mainly in the capital , Washington , where the federal government is the largest employer .
Tourists had little reason to get up early today . The museums of the Smithsonian , one of the main tourist destinations in the capital have closed doors. Against the popular Smithsonian National Air and Space could read the sign ” all the Smithsonian museums and the National Zoo are closed today by the government shutdown . Sorry for the inconvenience ” .
The webcams showing the zoo animals are out, including the panda , which has deprived many fans of the new giant panda born last August to continue their progress .
” All animals will be fed and cared for ,” he assured the National Zoo to reassure the public on its website .
Barriers preventing access to the Lincoln Memorial , where the statue of President Abraham Lincoln. The steps of the monument , where the activist Martin Luther King gave his famous speech ‘ I have a dream ‘ in 1963 , were closed by a ribbon on that read ” Police , do not cross ” .
A Park Service spokesman Mike Litterst , has indicated that other parts of the Mall , including Memorial World War II , are also closed .
The capital , with 600,000 inhabitants and a metropolitan area of nearly 6 million, however it is a ghost town. The local government is operating as public transport, and apparently the morning jams were equal to those of other days.
In Congress, the Capitol Police are stationed at entrances, some of them complaining , but off camera , you have to be there because they are ” essential personnel ” while not being paid .
THE CONGRESS STILL CHARGED
Members of Congress continue to receive their salary during the shutdown, as they are working to close a deal that will allow the government working again .
Some restaurants and bars in the area have seen a business opportunity . The Washington Post has published a list of premises where there are discounts and even happy hours throughout the day , so that they do not charge officials do not go hungry or thirsty.
According to this newspaper , the Washington area could lose up to 200 million dollars a day due to the closure of the main tourist destinations such as the Smithsonian and the National Zoo , according to authorities .