DC Mayor Muriel Bowser sends letter to President Trump urging him to end shutdown
WASHINGTON (FOX 5 DC) - D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser has sent a letter to President Donald Trump urging him to end the partial government shutdown that is affecting tens of thousands of federal workers in the Washington region.
"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. Indeed, many DC residents, businesses, including restaurants and hotels, and federal contractors will suffer severe impacts if the shutdown continues indefinitely," Bowser wrote. "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, DC, pay the highest price."
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However, the mayor says the District of Columbia will remain open 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 said.
The city will continue provide trash collection at federally-owned parks and roads in D.C., according to Bowser. However, she also says the cost for the additional trash removal will cost the District $46,000 per week.
"We hope that this key message will resonate during this shutdown: the 702,000 residents of Washington, DC, who pay the highest taxes per capita to the federal treasury, are stepping up to cover federal services during the shutdown, while we are the only citizens within the continental United States without a vote in Congress," said Bowser. "I respectfully urge you to push Congress to reach a deal to reopen the federal government. However, if this shutdown continues, Washington, DC will remain open for business."
However, it does not appear the partial shutdown will be ending anytime soon as the standoff continues between Trump and Democrats over funding for a border wall.
The shutdown began on Saturday as about 380,000 federal workers have been furloughed while 420,000 essential employees are working unpaid. A majority of National Park Service employees are staying home during the shutdown and many national parks have been closed.
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Last week, Bowser said D.C. will also make sure that the operations for Social Security, Medicaid and Medicare providers and beneficiaries will continue as normal and these customers will be warned if there are any possible disruptions to their benefits if the federal shutdown continues past 30 days.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.