PORTLAND PRESS HERALD • December 19, 2024
The federal government could shut down this weekend after President-elect Donald Trump ordered Republican lawmakers to oppose a bipartisan spending deal reached earlier this week. More than 11,000 federal workers in Maine could be furloughed or expected to work without pay during a shutdown. As a result, air travel would not be disrupted. And there are about 2,500 state employees who are funded either entirely or in part by federal agencies. Acadia National Park would likely close its gates, along with other national parks and monuments. In 2013, the National Park Service turned away millions of visitors to more than 400 parks, monuments, and other sites, leading to a loss of more than $500 million in visitor spending nationwide.