About The times. (Gainesville, Ga.) 1972-current | View Entire Issue (Dec. 23, 2018)
TODAYS TOP HEADLINES The Times, Gainesville, Georgia | gainesvilletimes.com Sunday, December 23, 2018 3A Looking at government shutdown’s varied impact on parks, tourists Shutdown expected to drag into Christmas Trump, congressional leaders stuck in standoff over border wall J. SCOTT APPLEWHITE I Associated Press Vice President Mike Pence, center left, walking with acting-White House Chief of Staff Mick Mulvaney, center right, arrives Saturday, Dec. 22, at the Capitol as Congress resumes talks on funding without a compromise over money for President Donald Trump’s promised wall along the U.S.-Mexico border, in Washington. Associated Press WASHINGTON - The partial federal shutdown was expected to drag into Christmas as President Don ald Trump and congressio nal leaders remained stuck in a standoff over his border wall with Mexico with no breakthrough Saturday. Vice President Mike Pence arrived on Capitol Hill with a counter-offer to Democrats after the two sides traded offers in recent days. At the White House, Trump heard mixed mes sages during a lunch with conservative lawmakers; some wanted him to fight for the wall, others preferred to get the government re opened. The Senate, which gaveled in with the House for a rare weekend session, adjourned until Christmas Eve, but won’t return for a full session until Dec. 27. Even a temporary mea sure to keep government running for a few days while negotiations continued seemed out of reach. “Listen, anything can happen,” Senate Major ity Leader Mitch McCon nell told reporters after he closed the session. But the situation seemed less hopeful for a resolution. The Republican chairman of the Appropriations Com mittee, Sen. Richard Shelby of Alabama, said a quick end to the shutdown was “not probable.” “I don’t think it’s immi nent we’re going to reach a deal,” Shelby told report ers after he ushered Pence through the halls for meet ings. “I wish we could.” Trump was demanding $5 billion for a wall, but con gressional Democrats were refusing to accede in a stale mate that provided a cha otic coda for Republicans in the waning days of their two-year reign controlling government. The president jettisoned his Florida holiday getaway to his club Mar-a-Lago, tweeting, “I am in the White House, working hard.” Trump hosted a lunch with conservative lawmak ers, including House Free dom Caucus chiefs Mark Meadows of North Carolina and Jim Jordan of Ohio, and several senators, among them Lindsey Graham of South Carolina. Absent from the guest list were GOP lead ers or any Democrats. For the second day in a row, Pence shuttled over to the Capitol to work on a deal. Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer of New York met with Pence at the request of the White House, according to Schum er’s office. Shelby said the two sides had exchanged counter offers over the past days and that Pence was arriving with a new one from the White House. Pence left a short time later. Schumer said the “Trump shutdown” could end if Trump simply dropped his demand for money that was the centerpiece of his presi dential campaign. Trump had pledged Mexico would pay for the wall; Mexico has refused. “If you want to open the government, you must aban don the wall, ” Schumer said. Democrats said they were open to other proposals that don’t include the wall, which Schumer said was too costly and unpopular. They have offered to keep spending at existing levels of $1.3 billion for border fencing and other security. But Trump, digging in, tweeted about “the crisis of illegal activity” at Ameri can’s southern border is “real and will not stop until we build a great Steel Bar rier or Wall.” Republican leaders largely stayed in the back ground of the negotiations, and McConnell opened the Senate saying any deal to reopen government would require Democratic support for passage and the presi dent’s signature. The impasse blocked money for nine of 15 Cabi net-level departments and dozens of agencies, includ ing the departments of Homeland Security, Trans portation, Interior, Agricul ture, State and Justice. The disruption affected many government opera tions and the routines of 800,000 federal employees. Roughly 420,000 workers were deemed essential and will work unpaid just days before Christmas. An addi tional 380,000 will be fur loughed, meaning they will stay home without pay. NEW YORK — The huddled masses are still able to visit the Statue of Liberty. The Grand Can yon is open for business. The government says other national parks “will remain as accessible as possible,” although some roads at Rocky Mountain National Park are closed as snow goes unplowed. But, while the star-span gled banner yet waves at Fort McHenry in Baltimore, the gates at the War of 1812 landmark are locked. Tourists trekking to parks and historic sites across the U.S. on Saturday are seeing a mix of impacts from the federal government’s sec ond shutdown in less than a year. Some attractions are staying open thanks to fund ing from states and chari table groups. At some parks, you’re welcome to take a hike — but you’re largely on your own. At others, like the closed Gettysburg National Military Park in Pennsylva nia, you’re out of luck. Utah’s state government is paying to staff the visitor centers at Arches, Bryce Canyon and Zion national parks. Arizona is ponying up to keep trails, shuttles and restrooms open at the Grand Canyon. New York is footing the bill for the Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island for the third shut down in five years. “Many travelers have planned their visit for months in advance and have traveled from all over the world to be here,” said Utah Gov. Gary Herbert, a Republican. “We want them to return home with memories of magnificent vistas and welcoming peo ple, not locked doors.” The shutdown is affect ing nine of the 15 Cabi net-level departments, including Interior, which runs national parks, and Agriculture, which runs national forests. About 16,000 National Park Service employees — 80 percent of the agency’s workforce — are being furloughed. It’s also closing some of the nation’s presidential libraries. The George H.W. Bush Presidential Library and Museum in College Sta tion, Texas, is closed, but the family gravesite — where the 41st president was recently buried — will stay open. George W. Bush’s presidential library in Dal las is open, but archive ser vices won’t be available. Temporary and perma nent exhibits at the Clin ton Presidential Library and Museum, a top tourist attraction in Little Rock, Arkansas, are closed, but the restaurant is open and offering “Shutdown Specials.” At Acadia National Park in Maine, austerity mea sures include closing some bathrooms, curbing trash collection and cutting back on snowplowing. A lack of plowing is closing roads at Rocky Mountain National Park in Colorado, the fourth most popular national park in the country, and the visitor centers are locked. “This is really disappointing,” said Sarah Schlesinger of Boul der, Colorado, who went to the park with two nieces from Florida who had never seen snow before. Unplowed roads also could hinder access to Cra ter Lake in Oregon, Mount Rainier in Washington and other parks normally inun dated with snow this time of year. Hotels, restaurants, stores and gas stations at Yosemite National Park in California remain open and seem unaffected by the shutdown, which has canceled some programs, closed visitor centers and left campgrounds unstaffed. Associated Press As previously announced, starting Dec. 24 The Times will no longer publish print editions on Monday and Tuesdays. News will continue to be updated daily on our website, www.gainesvilletimes.com. Some of the features normally found in the Monday and Tuesday editions will be moved to other days of publication. If you are a subscriber and have problems accessing the website, please email webmaster@gainesvilletimes.com for help. Home delivery of The Times will continue Wednesday through Sunday. 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