Shutdown Shuts Out Couples Getting Married in Washington, D.C.

(Bloomberg) -- Couples hoping kick off the new year by getting married in Washington will have to make other plans. The government shutdown has shuttered the city’s Marriage Bureau.

While most city services are paid for by local taxes and still operating, the local court system, which includes the Marriage Bureau, is funded through Congress. When parts of the government shut down on Dec. 21 amid a standoff between congressional Democrats and President Donald Trump, non-essential federal employees in affected agencies were furloughed.

That means there’s no one to issue marriage licenses in the capital.

The District’s Committee on Admissions, which admits lawyers to practice law, the library and the child care center also are closed, according to the District of Columbia courts website. But people called to jury duty aren’t off the hook -- the courts are open and scheduled proceedings will go on.

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