In a letter addressed to President Donald J. Trump, D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser has urged the president to end the partial government shutdown which affected thousands of federal workers in Washington, D.C.
“On behalf of the more than 702,000 residents and many businesses in Washington, D.C., I urge you to work with Congress to bring an immediate end to the current partial federal government shutdown,” Bowser wrote in the letter sent to Trump on December 26. She added that many D.C. residents, businesses, including restaurants and hotels, and federal contractors will suffer severe impacts if the shutdown continues indefinitely.
“This is the federal government’s third shutdown in less than a year. During a shutdown, there are no winners and our nation’s federal workers, including the 170,000 federal employees who work in Washington, D.C., pay the highest price,” Bowser added in the letter.
.@realDonaldTrump: On behalf of the more than 702,000 residents and many businesses in Washington, DC, I urge you to work with Congress to bring an immediate end to the current partial federal government shutdown. pic.twitter.com/dCYpFN68X7
— Mayor Muriel Bowser (@MayorBowser) December 26, 2018
The mayor said that D.C. will remain open for business during the shutdown. “While a federal government shutdown causes many disruptions for residents and visitors, our local government continues to work to ensure that the basic needs of our nation’s capital are still being met,” she wrote in the letter, urging Trump to push for a deal to reopen the federal government.
The partial shutdown began on December 22. Many national parks have been since closed and most of the National Park Service employees did not attend duties during the shutdown. About 25 percent of the federal government is affected by funding shortages. Entire agencies like Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) also remain affected.
As the partial government shutdown continues, President Trump has decided to stay in Washington, D.C., cancelling plans to spend the New Year in Florida.