Fed shutdown hits 50,000 NYC workers, city preps for ‘worst-case’ scenario
Federal courts still open; food stamps in question
Mayor Bill de Blasio said on Saturday that 50,000 federal workers in New York City have been furloughed as a result of the U.S. government shutdown.
Because the city has a rainy day stash, it can continue to fund some services for a month or so, the mayor said. If the shutdown extends past that, however, thousands more residents could be affected, including people receiving food stamps (SNAP) and non-profits providing health care and housing support.
De Blasio told reporters that the Housing Authority and Department of Transportation rely on federal funding and could be affected if the shutdown drags on, along with some terror-related security funding.
“We are blessed in this city to have managed our budget very prudently, to have substantial reserves, so we know we can weather a shutdown of a few weeks. And the longest we’ve ever seen in a federal shutdown is 21 days. But if it continues beyond that, then there are very real dangers for this city,” de Blasio said.