US government shutdown: Statue of Liberty won’t be closed, says Trump admin after New York Governor refused to pay to keep it open

Statue of Liberty may close: New York Governor Kathy Hochul

New York Governor Kathy Hochul on Wednesday said that the Statue of Liberty, one of the most iconic monuments in the city, may close as a result of the federal government shutdown.

Governor Hochul has said that New York wouldn’t pay to keep the Statue of Liberty open during the federal government shutdown, unlike the state had done in the past, including in 2018.

“Today, the torch she holds — as a beacon to others, a symbol — could literally go dark. Not because of an act of God or a horrific storm, flood, or hurricane. But literally because Donald Trump and Republicans in Washington forced a government shutdown,” Hochul said on Wednesday, the first day of the government shutdown.

Statue of Liberty should not be closed: Cuomo

Former New York governor Andrew Cuomo, who is now an independent candidate for New York City mayor, said the federal government’s dysfunction should never dim the Statue of Liberty’s lights or shutter its doors.

“Under no circumstances do I believe the dysfunction of the federal government should dim the Statue of Liberty’s lights or shutter its doors,” Cuomo said in a statement. “I was proud to have New York step in to keep the Statue of Liberty open. I felt it was the right thing to do then and that’s also how I feel today.”

Cost of keeping Statue of Liberty open

He also revealed that it cost roughly $1.5 million, or about $65,000 a day, to keep the Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island open from December 22, 2018, to January 14, 2019, during the previous federal government shutdown, which was also the longest in US history.

According to The Associated Press, other national parks are expected to remain mostly open despite the government shutdown. The National Park Service’s contingency plan calls for park roads, lookouts, trails, and open-air memorials to “generally remain accessible to visitors.”

Parks without “accessible areas” will be closed, and additional sites could shutter if damage occurs or garbage accumulates during the shutdown.