National parks, partially open during the federal government shutdown, are facing mountains of trash and human waste. Yosemite officials closed some campgrounds after finding human feces and urine along roads.
“With restrooms closed, some visitors are opting to deposit their waste in natural areas adjacent to high traffic areas, which creates a health hazard for other visitors,” National Parks Service spokesman Andrew Munoz
Mountains of garbage and human waste are challenging efforts to keep U.S. national parks open during a partial shutdown of the federal government, National Parks Traveler reported.
In California, Yosemite National Park officials have closed the Wawona and Hodgson Meadows campgrounds, along with the Mariposa Grove of redwoods, after finding human feces and urine beside Wawona Road, the Los Angeles Times reported.
“It’s a free-for-all,” said Dakota Snider, 24, a Yosemite Valley resident, reported The Associated Press. “It’s so heartbreaking. There is more trash and human waste and disregard for the rules than I’ve seen in my four years living here.”
By absenting himself, the Senate majority leader had hoped to push the blame for a prolonged shutdown onto Democrats while protecting Republicans running for re-election next year — including himself.
Republican Cracks in Trump’s Wall ⚡
Only 30 percent of Kentuckians approve of Mitch McConnell’s job performance #TrumpMinion #McConnellCOMPLICIT #TrumpShutdown
1. Senator Cory Gardner, Republican of Colorado
broke ranks to become the first member of his party to call for an end to the shutdown — with or without Mr. Trump’s wall funding.“I think we should pass a continuing resolution to get the government back open,” Mr. Gardner, whose state has a heavy federal presence, told The Hill newspaper. “The Senate has done it last Congress, we should do it again today.”
2. Senator Susan Collins, Republican of Maine
one of the chamber’s most moderate members, said Thursday that she would support separating homeland security funding from the other bipartisan appropriations bills already approved in committee to reopen much of the government — as Democrats have proposed. But Mr. McConnell is refusing to take up the Democrats’ measures.
“It would be great to have them signed into law because there is not great controversy over them, and at least we’d be getting those workers back to work,” Ms. Collins said.
3. Senator Shelley Moore Capito, Republican of West Virginia
“A shutdown, in my view, is a no-win proposition,” Ms. Capito said, adding that she heard complaints from Transportation Security Administration workers as she was returning to Washington for the start of the new Congress this week. Ms. Capito is the chairwoman of the appropriations subcommittee with jurisdiction over the Department of Homeland Security; the panel has already passed a bill funding the department, including $1.6 billion for border security including fencing — but with no money for Mr. Trump’s wall.
“It is just a lot of unneeded stress on a lot of people,” she said of the shutdown.
“The power to end the shutdown is in two people’s hands: Donald Trump and Mitch McConnell,” Mr. Schumer said Thursday in a brief hallway interview. “Either one of them could end the shutdown. They both should try.”
4.. Senator Joni Ernst, Republican of Iowa
“I would like to see it resolved soon,” said Senator Joni Ernst, Republican of Iowa, who also faces re-election in 2020. She repeated herself for emphasis: “I would like to see it resolved soon.”
