NEW YORK (AP) - The huddled masses are still able to visit the Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island during the U.S. government’s partial shutdown thanks to funding from New York state.
Gov. Andrew Cuomo said Saturday the state is spending about $65,000 per day to keep the monuments open. It’s the third time in five years it’s done so during a federal shutdown.
Cuomo, a Democrat, says it was an easy decision when research shows Lady Liberty and Ellis Island generate a daily economic impact of about $1 million.
About 10,000 people visit each day.
Cuomo says that “while we’re watching government at its worst in Washington, the Statue of Liberty is a symbol of America at her best.”
He’s planning deliver his third inaugural address on Ellis Island on New Year’s Day.
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