Should the federal government shutdown persist, Smithsonian museums and the National Zoo are scheduled to cease public operations commencing Sunday, a development that further highlights the widespread impact of the congressional budget deadlock on daily routines.

These closures are poised to impact several of Washington, D.C.’s most frequented tourist sites, such as the National Museum of Natural History, the Air and Space Museum, and the National Zoo. These institutions have maintained operations using funds from previous fiscal years since the shutdown commenced on October 1st. However, these allocated funds are projected to be depleted by October 11th.

The institution, predominantly federally funded, affirmed that although exhibits will become inaccessible, animal welfare provisions at the zoo and its Virginia-based Conservation Biology Institute will proceed without interruption. According to an official statement on the National Zoo’s website, “A shutdown will not affect our commitment to the safety of our staff and standard of excellence in animal care.” Nevertheless, the zoo indicated that its publicly accessible webcams and other live animal feeds, which rely on federal personnel for operation, will cease broadcasting throughout the shutdown.

These forthcoming closures coincide with the government shutdown entering its second week, with no clear path to a resolution in sight. Since the shutdown’s commencement on October 1st, several impacts have been observed: hundreds of thousands of federal employees have been placed on furlough, national park visitor centers have been shut down, disbursements of small-business loans have faced postponements, and the Bureau of Labor Statistics suspended the dissemination of crucial economic figures, notably the September jobs report. Furthermore, insufficient staffing at airports has contributed to thousands of flight delays across the country.

Should the deadlock persist, further programs are anticipated to be impacted: financial support for rural air services might cease by mid-October, judicial proceedings could gradually halt shortly thereafter, and federal nutritional aid for mothers and children may start depleting by month’s end. If prolonged into early November, the current shutdown would exceed the unprecedented 34-day duration recorded in 2019.

Congress remains at an impasse concerning Democrats’ demand to prolong Affordable Care Act subsidies scheduled to conclude by year’s end. Republicans require support from a small number of Senate Democrats to endorse their proposed funding bill aimed at resuming government operations. While a limited contingent of legislators has initiated discussions regarding potential solutions, such as interim extensions of healthcare subsidies to facilitate the government’s reopening, the White House and congressional leadership continue to hold significantly divergent positions, with no official negotiations currently taking place.

Amidst the ongoing stalemate, President Donald Trump has issued threats to dismiss numerous furloughed federal employees and to not grant back pay to those furloughed once the government reopens—both of which would mark departures from decades of established precedent.