Government Shutdown

By Editor | October 7, 2025 |

Government Shutdown

“Funding has lapsed and the Government is in the process of shutting down,” read a statement regarding the National Park Service. “A continuing resolution or a new budget bill must pass both houses of Congress and be signed by the President to end the shutdown.” On October 1st, the federal government entered a shutdown after Congress failed to pass full-year appropriations. While government shutdowns have not been uncommon in the United States – there have been 22 shutdowns or partial shutdowns since the modern budgeting rules were put in place in 1976 – most non-essential federal employees have been furloughed, and many services have been restricted as a result. The ripple effects have already been felt in Tennessee.
“Senate Democrats deliberately forced a shutdown and blocked a clean extension of current spending levels in favor of a nearly $1.5 trillion package of far-left priorities,” said U.S. Senator Marsha Blackburn, who announced a run for governor in August.
While Washington leaders have consistently pointed their fingers back and forth, local governments and organizations have rallied to keep some National Parks open. The Great Smoky Mountains National Park was able to reopen on Saturday, the result of a partnership with local and state governments, as well as the Friends of the Smokies, who have often supported the park, and the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians.
“As of 12:01 AM on Saturday, October 4, Great Smoky Mountains National Park is fully open and operational, per an agreement with the National Park Service, U.S. Department of Interior, and Sevier County, Tennessee,” the park said in a statement. In anticipation of the federal government shutdown, Sevier County, the cities of Gatlinburg, Sevierville, Pigeon Forge, and Pittman Center, Blount County, Cocke County, the State of Tennessee, the Tennessee Department of Tourist Development, along with the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians, began formulating a plan to provide financial support to keep the Smokies operational. Per the terms of the agreement, local and state partners will fund $61,703.18 each day to ensure operations.
Historically, Tennessee’s economy has depended heavily on federal programs, including SNAP and Medicaid programs, and visitor spending. NPS visitors alone generated tens of millions of dollars in nearby communities last year; across the NPS system, visitor spending exceeded $29 billion in 2024, supporting hundreds of thousands of jobs. When parks lack staff to provide basic services, communities can lose substantial revenue and face harm to all-important tourism reputations that lingers after the shutdown ends.
In 2024, Big South Fork National River and Recreation Area drew roughly 780,000 visitors who spent an estimated $28.5 million in communities near the park. SCN reached out to BSFNRA in hopes of reporting the park’s immediate plans and what remains open during the shutdown. As of press, we had not received a response. According to a statement on the park’s website, the park will remain as accessible as possible during the federal shutdown. However, some services may be limited or unavailable. With NPS, in general, scaling back under contingency rules, the park likely faces immediate reductions in visitor services: closed visitor centers, limited trash collection, halted routine road and trail maintenance, and fewer, if any, rangers to manage permits or respond to potential search-and-rescue incidents.
Because of the impact on tourism, at stake for Scott County is possibly a percentage of Scott County and municipal taxation for lodging. The Scott County hotel-motel tax is 5%. The Town of Oneida has adopted a 4% municipal lodging tax, and a 2016 law added campgrounds to the list of entities subject to taxation.

“I’ve long said that government shutdowns are stupid and always cause more harm than good,” said Congressman Chuck Fleischmann. “Our fellow Americans have the bare expectation that Congress keeps the lights on and doors open.”