Philadelphians breathe sigh of relief as government shutdown gets avoided
Many people walking around the Old City neighborhood Saturday night had concerns about the looming shutdown.
PHILADELPHIA (WPVI) -- The threat of a federal government shutdown ended late Saturday when Congress approved a temporary funding bill to keep agencies open and sent the measure to President Joe Biden to sign.
If the government shutdown had happened, the Independence Mall building in Philadelphia would have been a ghost town.
"It's really unfortunate that this is happening," said Rakshak Iyengar, of Albany, New York.
Many people walking around the Old City neighborhood Saturday night had concerns about the looming shutdown. Some people worried about how the shutdown would impact them if it happened.
While there was a midnight deadline on many people's minds, Congress approved the temporary bill hours before.
The president of the American Federation of Government Employees in Philadelphia spoke about the impacts.
"Federal employees are what makes America work," said Karen Ford-Styer, the AFGE local president.
Local businesses can also rest assured, for now.
