Schumer asks Interior for timeline on Statue of Liberty reopening after storm

Sen. Charles Schumer (D-N.Y.) requested Monday that the Department of Interior (DOI) release a timeline of when repairs will be made to the Statue of Liberty after it was damaged more than three months ago during Hurricane Sandy.

Schumer wants to know when the monument, located in New York, would reopen, because it is a major tourist destination for his state.

“The Statue of Liberty is still shuttered more than three months after Sandy struck the city and tourists, businesses and all New Yorkers need to know that the end is in sight," Schumer said Monday. "As an enduring symbol of our nation and our city, Lady Liberty cannot be allowed to languish any longer than necessary.”

Schumer said he appreciated the department’s hard work to rebuild the monument after the storm, but said that a timeline and reopening date would be helpful for the recovery process.

“The Department of Interior has done a terrific job recovering and rebuilding after the storm, and is working hard on making the necessary repairs to Liberty Island,” Schumer said. “Providing a hard timeline of their efforts would be a significant step in the right direction in the recovery process."

Schumer said the closure has affected 400 employees who worked on the island selling concessions and providing security, among other things.

“Without a firm reopening date for the Statue of Liberty, tourists will be unable to plan visits to this iconic symbol of the nation, businesses will not know when they will be able to once again open their doors, and the employees that have been laid off won't know when they will be able to return to work," Schumer said.

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