government shutdown is sure to extend at least into Friday. After the confrontation Wednesday morning, the Park Service announced that while the WWII monument remains officially closed, Honor Flight visitors won’t be barred. A Dallas group plans to arrive Friday afternoon.

A park ranger stands behind the barricades at the World War II Memorial during the government shutdown today. (Alex Wong/Getty Images)

WASHINGTON – Should the government shutdown go into the weekend, it will have a profound effect on a group of World War II veterans from Texas flying to Washington on Friday to see the WWII Memorial — some for their first and last time.

Because of the shutdown, Washington’s memorials are closed. The WWII Memorial had a gate around it this morning with signs reading “All National Parks aretweeted that he would be at the memorial to see the veterans as they arrived Friday. A spokeswoman for Cornyn said the senator is expecting appropriations bills to pass both chambers this week, which would allow the monuments and memorials to re-open.

A bill by Sen. Leticia Van de Putte, D-San Antonio, to transfer administrative oversight of Hazlewood benefits to the Texas Veterans Commission passed out of the Senate into the House on Wednesday.

Sen. Leticia Van de Putte, D-San Antonio

The Hazlewood Act provides veterans and their families free tuition up to 150 credit hours, which the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board currently oversees.

Transferring the program to the Texas Veterans Commission would allow veterans to have a conversation about the benefit with their peers. The bill text says it will