Politics & Government

Government Shutdown Begins, Federal Offices Close

The shutdown started just after midnight Tuesday after Congress could not pass a resolution to fund the government.

By Tyler Waldman

The post office is open and Social Security checks are covered, but at 12:01 a.m. Tuesday, much of the federal government closed.

The closure is the first in 17 years and stems from House Republicans' demands that any continuing resolution contain a provision delaying the Affordable Care Act. That's a nonstarter for the Democrat-led Senate and President Barack Obama.

"You don't get to extract a ransom for doing your job, for doing what you're supposed to be doing anyway, or just because there's a law there that you don't like," Obama said in an address Monday, according to The Washington Post.

On Tuesday morning, the Senate voted to shelve the House's new version of the funding bill, which also included the language on the health care bill, NBC News reports.

Key provisions of the Affordable Care Act, also known as "Obamacare," took effect Tuesday, including the individual insurance marketplaces. Maryland's marketplace, called the Maryland Health Connection, is open for business.

The last federal government shutdown lasted 28 days from December 1995 to January 1996. It was caused by disputes between President Bill Clinton and a Republican Congress on issues including Medicare spending and environmental regulations, according to an Associated Press report at the time.

With the shutdown, national parks are closed. Ninety-seven percent of NASA's employees, including at Goddard Space Flight Center, are furloughed. Military personnel at installations including Aberdeen Proving Ground and Fort Meade remain on duty. Benefit payments and embassy and consular services will continue uninterrupted, air traffic controllers and border agents are on duty, but federal courts could begin furloughs later this month, CBS News reports.

Some federal websites are shut down, too. Even the National Zoo's panda cam is offline.

What does the shutdown mean in Maryland? For starters, most of Maryland's 90,000 federal employees and 180,000 contractors could face furloughs or lost work. A Towson University analyst said he believes the shutdown could cost Maryland workers $18 million to $68 million in lost income per day.

After past shutdowns, Congress has authorized back pay for furloughed employees, but it's not yet clear if that will happen during this shutdown.

How does the shutdown affect you? Do you think Congress will reach a deal this week? Tell us in the comments!


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