Six photographers take us behind the scenes of Washington’s shutdown showdown
Perspective by Marisa Schwartz Taylor
January 22, 2018 at 6:35 p.m. EST
Melina Mara, who photographs Capitol Hill on a daily basis, said the mood on Capitol Hill was quite unique. “Different mood, different circumstances, different players than the last October 2013 shutdown,” she said. “The 2018 shutdown began with the new-normal: Increased partisanship, angry faced Democrats, Republicans grumbling with frustration down hallways full of questioning journalists, and leadership unsure of what they could do differently.”
From Thursday morning, as the shutdown loomed, up to Friday’s 11:59 p.m. deadline, through the weekend and into Monday, Post photographers feverishly documented the chaos on Capitol Hill, the White House and the Washington area. Fridays on the Hill are typically quiet, with lawmakers heading home to their constituencies for the weekend, but not this time. President Trump, who had been involved in the sticking points of budget negotiations — border security and a resolution for Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals, otherwise known as the “Dreamers, ” or DACA — canceled his weekend trip to Mar-A-Lago.
“A brighter Monday comes with Senate moderates appearing from the Senate floor with smiles,” Mara said. “Hugs and announcements of kumbayah cooperation and working together once again. Government is back open. … But for how long?”
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