Thousands of federal workers in Arizona stand to be furloughed Friday as the budget battle in Congress threatens to shut down the government.
Gov. Katie Hobbs' office didn’t say whether it would use state funds to keep Grand Canyon National Park open as the state has done during previous shutdowns.
A Hobbs spokesperson told KNAU the governor is monitoring the situation, and would work to mitigate the impacts of a shutdown.
Hobbs calls House majority Republicans “irresponsible” and says Arizona shouldn’t be “held hostage” by their actions.
“Arizonans should not be held hostage by irresponsible politicians in Washington, DC, especially during the holiday season. We cannot afford this continued chaos from Congressional Republicans who refuse to do their jobs and put everyday people ahead of their political machinations,” the statement read.
The Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis estimates there are more than 60,000 federal employees living and working in the state, although it’s hard to say how many of those are considered essential and thus will remain on the job.
Most federal law enforcement personnel as well as U.S. Postal Service employees and air traffic controllers will all continue to work according to the Arizona Republic.