Congressional Glance
As the government shutdown drags on, Smithsonian museums, the National Zoo and other facilities are the latest to be caught in the fray, with the federal trust announcing the closure of all of its sites beginning on Sunday.
"We will update our operating status as soon as the situation is resolved," the Smithsonian announced on social media. "We do not plan to update social media other than to inform you of changes to our operating status."
The closure affects all of the Smithsonian's 21 museums, its research centers and the National Zoo.
As worried social media users expressed concern about the well-being of the animals at the zoo, the Smithsonian assured its supporters that the animals would still be cared for during the zoo's closure.
"All the animals at the Zoo and at the Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute in Front Royal, Virginia, will continue to be fed and cared for," the Smithsonian said. "A shutdown will not affect our commitment to the safety of our staff and standard of excellence in animal care."
The U.S. Department of Education fired nearly everyone in the Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative Services in a wave of new layoffs that began Friday, according to the union representing the agency's employees.
Arizona’s Democratic senators pressed Mike Johnson on Wednesday to swear in their state’s newest representative, Adelita Grijalva, but the Republican House speaker refused to budge until funding for the government was restored.
The federal government has shut down after lawmakers in Congress failed to reach an agreement on how to extend funding.
