When Alana Abbott showed up to the Capitol on Monday morning, she thought she’d at least be able to go inside and look at the gift shop and take a tour.

But for her and others traveling to Washington, D.C., over the past few days, the government shutdown has made that impossible. Tourists are instead greeted by a sign saying the visitor center is closed due to a lapse in appropriations, along with a Capitol Police officer reinforcing that message.

Abbott came from Georgia with her mom and her son and had been planning their trip for three months. As members of Congress clash over how to fund the government for the fiscal year that began Oct. 1, visitors like them are caught in the middle.

“It’s just kind of disappointing,” she said.

Her family has been staying busy going to the Smithso

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