UPPER MERION — As runners, bikers and even a few visitors from outside of Pennsylvania came to the Valley Forge National Park Tuesday, a U.S. park ranger stood about 20 feet from the entrance turning them away.
Calling the park led to a voice message explaining the entire park is closed and will not open again until the federal government opens again, which no one has a prediction for.
Runners were told to go their cars and leave and the park, which will be closed for the duration of the shutdown.
The government shut down at midnight Monday. Nonessential programs were cut and employees furloughed without pay until further notice. This includes all national parks in the country.
“Closing the government will harm our fragile economic recovery and disrupt benefits for seniors and veterans,” U.S. Rep. Allyson Schwartz (D-13th Dist.) said in a statement after voting against House Republican legislation prior to the shutdown. “In Pennsylvania alone, nearly 230,000 small businesses could see their federal loans and support delayed, Head Start centers serving more than 37,000 children could close, and our state’s nearly 1 million veterans could see their benefits disrupted. This crisis is unnecessary and totally unacceptable.”
U.S. Rep. Jim Gerlach (R.-6th Dist.) announced he will keep his offices open during the shutdown to help people with questions about how it affects them.
“I am extremely disappointed that the President and Congress were unable to reach consensus on a bill to keep the government open while protecting taxpayers, families and small businesses from the disastrous side-effects of the health care law,” Gerlach said in a statement. “A government shutdown is the last thing anyone wanted to happen, and the House did everything possible to prevent it.
“However, I take very seriously my responsibility to serve and assist all the people I have the privilege of representing in this district. My constituents will still have questions and concerns, and they deserve to have someone answer their phone calls and correspondence — even when Washington shuts down.”
Military personnel will continue to be paid via the Pay Our Military Act, which guarantees the men and women serving in the military will be paid during the shutdown, Gerlach’s statement said.
“The men and women who sacrifice everything serving our country are the most essential federal employees we have,” Gerlach said. “The paychecks they have earned should not stop just because Congress and the President cannot agree on a budget.”
According to the website usa.gov, Social Security beneficiaries will continue receiving their checks, the Postal Service will continue to deliver mail and active military personnel will continue to serve. Air traffic controllers, prison guards and border patrol agents will also continue to work, but NASA will be all but shut down, leaving mission control employees working to continue serving astronauts working on the space station.
By DAN CLARK , dclark@21st-CenturyMedia.com
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