Grand Canyon National Park will remain open if there's a government shutdown Friday night, with security staff at the entrances and monitoring the grounds, senior Trump Administration officials said during a conference call with reporters Friday.
The park is Arizona's largest tourist attraction. Gov. Doug Ducey pledged earlier Friday to keep it open with state dollars.
"The Grand Canyon will not close on our watch. Period," Ducey said in a prepared statement.
"If Washington, D.C., won't function, Arizona will. By working together with the National Park Service, and with dollars from our Parks and Tourism departments, we have identified state resources and will make sure the Grand Canyon stays open."
The state's military bases will also remain open should Congress fail to reach an agreement on funding government before 10 p.m. Arizona time Friday.
More than 1 million active-duty military personnel at home and overseas will not be paid for their work until after the shutdown ends, a senior administration official said.
Civilian workers at Luke Air Force Base in Glendale and other Arizona bases may find themselves without a job or a paycheck if there's a shutdown.
During the last government shutdown, in 2013, more than half the civilian staff on military bases was furloughed.
Civilian furloughs "may result in curtailment of function on bases here and abroad but will not impact ongoing military operations," a senior White House official said.
