Statue of Liberty, Ellis Island reopen amid shutdown
Posted January 22, 2018 6:00 am
NEW YORK (AP) - The Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island are now open for visitors, with New York state picking up the tab for the federal workers during the 69-hour shutdown.
The two sites reopened on Monday after being closed due to the shutdown which ended late Monday when President Donald Trump signed a bill reopening the federal government.
Gov. Andrew Cuomo announced their reopening on Sunday, saying the sites are vital to the state's tourism industry. The state will spend about $65,000 per day for the federal employees who operate the sites.
The Democratic governor had said the state would pay for the duration of the shutdown.
New York had the same arrangement in 2013, during the last government shutdown.
A Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island tour boat returns to Battery Park after dropping passengers off at the Statue of Liberty, Monday, Jan. 22, 2018, in New York. The Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island opened for visitors Monday, with New York state picking up the tab for the federal workers during the government shutdown. (AP Photo/Kathy Willens)
The Associated Press
Passengers board a Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island tour boat, Monday, Jan. 22, 2018, in New York, after service resumed during a government shutdown with New York state picking up the tab for the federal workers. (AP Photo/Kathy Willens)
The Associated Press
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