D.C. faces potential government shutdown ahead of the holidays
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The country is facing the possibility of a government shutdown starting Saturday, which would affect Washington life heading into the holidays.
Why it matters: The D.C. region would especially feel the hit of a shutdown: It's home to some 300,000-plus federal workers, all of whom could have to undergo furloughs or work without pay.
- 2018's 35-day shutdown saw workers miss mortgages, rack up credit card debt and visit food banks — and cost the city $47 million overall.
Driving the news: A new, second spending bill to avert a shutdown was killed Thursday.
- It removed a previous provision that transferred control of the RFK Stadium site to D.C. to enable the construction of a football stadium, housing and retail on 170 acres of federal land.
- The land transfer was in the original spending bill, which was torpedoed Wednesday after conservative backlash from Elon Musk and President-elect Trump.
Context: Even though the original provision did not involve any public money, Musk and others have shared misleading posts about the stadium funding on X.
- Mayor Muriel Bowser said she reached out to Trump's team to clarify the bill did not involve taxpayer money.
- "It's very frustrating," Bowser said at a press conference Thursday.
The latest torpedoed bill included provisions to give D.C. $90 million in reimbursements for inauguration-related security and funding for the rebuilding of Baltimore's Francis Scott Key Bridge.
State of play: While it's unlikely holiday travel would be immediately impacted by a shutdown, essential workers like TSA agents and air traffic controllers would have to work without pay during the busy season.
- It's also possible that institutions like the Smithsonian museums and the National Zoo might need to close, depending on funding. (No Zoo Lights?)
- But presents could still arrive: Post offices will remain open, and mail will still be delivered.
Go deeper: Government shutdown specials have begun in D.C.
Editor's note: This story has been updated to add news about the latest funding bill.