Norton Says Many Federal Tourist Attractions Critical to D.C. Economy Are Open Despite Republican Government Shutdown

WASHINGTON, D.C.—Congresswoman Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-DC) today assured District of Columbia-area residents, as well as Americans visiting the nation's capital, that many federal tourist attractions remain open and accessible despite the ongoing closure of the federal government. Open-air sites, such as D.C.'s National Park Service neighborhood parks, which are most of D.C.'s parks, as well as the Lincoln, Jefferson, and World War II Memorials, for example, are open, though unstaffed. Smithsonian museums, research centers and the National Zoo are open today, as well as Arlington Memorial Cemetery. Federal sites are forced to make day-by-day and case-by-case decisions on opening because they are using leftover funds in the absence of the 2018 fiscal year appropriations being held up in the Congress. Norton said the reluctance of Republicans to shut down tourist sites may be the result of backlash when sites were closed during the 2013 government shutdown and Republican Members of Congress removed barriers to allow veterans and others to visit the World War II Memorial.

"D.C. is a tourist town, and we want everyone to know that despite the dysfunction on Capitol Hill, they can continue to enjoy most of city's federal sites," Norton said. "I also am continuing to work on a budget compromise to ensure D.C.'s federal workers can return to work and get paid as quickly as possible."