Tourist atttractions in the United States which were forced to close due to the government’s partial shutdown should start to welcome visitors again from today after the US Congress passed a bill to reopen the government.
National parks, including Yellowstone and Yosemite, were closed for 16 days followig a stand-off between the Democrats and the Republicans, who refused to raise the federal debt limit, leaving the country unable to pay government employees. The Statue of Liberty and Grand Canyon National Park were also temporarily shut down.
However, yesterday US Congress agreed to raise the $16.7 trillion debt limit and extend the treasury’s borrowing authority until February 7. It also funds the government until January 15, allowing federal agencies to reopen and hundreds of thousands of employees, who had been sent home on October 1 with no pay, to return to work.
