US Embassy: business as usual
Ambassador, Nasa spacecraft keep sense of humour during early stages of shutdown.
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Despite the partial government shutdown in the US, it's business as usual at the US Embassy in Wellington and Consulate in Auckland.
“Even in the absence of a current fiscal year budget, the American Embassy in Wellington and the Consulate General in Auckland are continuing visa services and other operations," an Embassy spokesman told NBR ONLINE.
NBR understands there is no immediate issue with staff being paid.
Any updates on the impact of the shutdown will be posted to newzealand.usembassy.gov.
Even if the budget impasse intensifies, it seems unlikely US Ambassador to New Zealand David Huebner will curtail his activity - at least on social media.
"I haven't been able two shut myself down for 50 years and certainly won't start now. As I think Descartes said, I am therefore I tweet," he posted in a light-hearted aside to NBR this afternoon.
Nasa's Voyager 2 spacecraft took a blunter approach, tweeting:
Due to government shutdown, we will not be posting or responding from this account. Farewell, humans. Sort it out yourselves.
— NASAVoyager2 (@NASAVoyager2) October 1, 2013
NBR staff
Tue, 01 Oct 2013
Tue, 01 Oct 2013
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US Embassy: business as usual
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