The government’s shutdown last night already is affecting the Boston area as some historical sites and attractions close, turning away disappointed visitors.
Lawmakers deadlocked and missed the deadline for funding the government late last night. Republicans in Congress had supported a short-term measure that would fund the government at current levels through Nov. 21, but Democrats blocked it, insisting the measure address healthcare costs. They want to reverse the Medicaid cuts in President Trump’s mega-bill passed this summer and extend expiring health care insurance subsidies. The shutdown was triggered at 12:01 a.m. Wednesday.
The Boston Globe dispatched reporters to several federally-run facilities and parks to assess the fallout.
JFK Library: ‘Closed until further notice’
A sign outside the John F. Kennedy Presidential Library and Museum in Dorchester informed patrons that the building would be “closed until further notice” because of the shutdown.
For Sherry Roper, it would have been her fifth presidential museum — from a bucket list of thirteen total.
“I don’t know when we’ll fly back,” said the 69-year-old from Burleson, Texas. “This was one of our most favorite that we wanted to see.”
Roper came to visit the area on Tuesday and planned to leave Wednesday. But it was the JFK museum that drew her to Boston. Roper, a lifelong Democrat who became an Independent after she campaigned for Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. last year, said she is frustrated with rave politics that lead to this shutdown.
“It’s wild that we’re played like this,” she said. “I’m tired of paying [my representatives] money to not do their job.”
Security guards standing outside the John F. Kennedy library were turning visitors away and recommending other tourist attractions around Boston.
Christine and Simon Jones are visiting New England from Southern California and said they won’t have another chance to visit the presidential library during their trip.
“I try to find the silver lining and assume that, you know, it wasn’t meant to be today,” Christine said. “But I felt very connected to this one in particular.”
Simon Jones, 57, said he is frustrated but not surprised by the shutdown.
“I mean, we clearly don’t have a functioning government right immediately,” he said. “It’s expected that they can’t seem to get anything right at this point.”
This is a developing story and will be updated.
Katie Muchnick can be reached at katie.muchnick@globe.com.
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