The U.S. government began a partial shutdown on Tuesday for the first time in 17 years.
The U.S. government shut down at 12:01 a.m. ET Tuesday after lawmakers in the House and the Senate could not agree on a spending bill to fund the government. Sylvia M. Burwell, Director of the Office of Management and Budget, ordered executive agencies to shut down just before midnight on Monday. House Republicans floated a late offer to break the deadlock, but Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid rejected the idea, saying Democrats would not enter into formal negotiations on spending “with a gun to our head” in the form of government shutdowns.
And while the military will remain on duty (as will many essential public safety, health, and welfare operations), an estimated 800,000 federal workers face furloughs because of the shutdown, though many were told to work a half day Tuesday. National parks will also close and medical research projects will come to a standstill, among other things.
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