The US government shut down at 12:01 am Wednesday.
The United States government has gone into its first shutdown in almost seven years after the Senate failed to agree on a funding plan. The shutdown, which took effect at midnight, will temporarily push many federal employees out of work.
Agencies have already been directed to begin contingency plans to manage the closure. Workers were told to report to their stations on Wednesday morning to help carry out shutdown procedures.
The shutdown came after Senate Democrats blocked a temporary funding bill that had been approved by the House. The bill would have kept the government running for another seven weeks.
Republicans, however, stood their ground and refused to reopen talks for a fresh compromise, leaving both sides in a stalemate.
Senate Majority Leader John Thune urged Democrats to soften their position so the government could reopen quickly.
But Democratic leader Chuck Schumer insisted that Republicans must come to the table.
“They’ve got to sit down and negotiate with Democrats to come to a bill that both parties can support,” Schumer said.
For Democrats, the extension of Affordable Care Act tax credits remains a central demand in the talks.
Senators are set to reconvene later on Wednesday, but the way forward remains uncertain. For now, thousands of Americans working in federal jobs will face an anxious wait as politicians battle it out in Washington.
