Washington (CNN) -- 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.
The two sides bickered and blamed each other for more than a week over Obamacare, the president's signature health care law. House Republicans insisted the spending bill include anti-Obamacare amendments. Senate Democrats were just as insistent that it didn't.
Federal employees who are considered essential will continue working. But employees deemed non-essential -- close to 800,000 will be furloughed.
Most furloughed federal workers are supposed to be out of their offices within four hours of the start of business Tuesday.
President Barack Obama issued a statement early Tuesday to military members and Department of Defense employees about the outcome of the shutdown.
"Those of you in uniform will remain on your normal duty status," the president said. "Congress has passed, and I am signing into law, legislation to make sure you get your paychecks on time. And we'll continue working to address any impact this shutdown has on you and your families."
"To all our DOD civilians—I know the days ahead could mean more uncertainty, including possible furloughs," the president added. "And I know this comes on top of the furloughs that many of you already endured this summer. You and your families deserve better than the dysfunction we're seeing in Congress. ... That's why I'll keep working to get Congress to reopen our government and get you back to work as soon as possible."
The final hours
The shutdown appeared inevitable Monday night as House Republicans acknowledged they can't overcome Senate objections to a proposal that includes provisions aimed at derailing Obamacare.
The plan now is to have another vote that would request a conference with the Senate to work out their differences. The move, which would not avert a shutdown, was slammed by Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid.
He rejected the House's proposal to meet, saying "we will not go to conference with a gun to our head."
For the second time Monday, the Senate rejected a House Republican effort to derail Obamacare tied to a proposal that would avert the shutdown.
The Senate voted to table amendments that would have delayed the individual mandate in the health care law and eliminated health insurance premium subsidies for members of Congress, their staffs and the president.
In the latest volley of legislative ping pong over a short-term spending plan needed to avoid the shutdown, House Republicans were expected to meet to discuss their next steps.
"The government is going to shut down ... I don't know for how long," GOP Rep. Devin Nunes of California told CNN while leaving Speaker John Boehner's office.
Democratic Rep. Chris Van Hollen said the reason there isn't a budget is because Republicans refused to negotiate months ago.
"They want to go to conference with 45 minutes left," Van Hollen said late Monday night. "That is a recipe for a government shutdown,"
Earlier, Senate Democrats had rejected a House proposal by a 54-46 vote on strict party lines.
Obama made a previously unscheduled statement to reporters on Monday afternoon, blasting the attempts by House Republicans to undermine Obamacare that he said threaten to harm the economy with a shutdown.
"You don't get to extract a ransom for doing your job, for doing what you're supposed to be doing anyway, where just because there's a law there that you don't like," the president said.
Obama later called Boehner and other party leaders in the House and Senate, the White House said, but a Boehner spokesman indicated there was no breakthrough.
Moderate GOP revolt against Boehner?
GOP sources told CNN that moderate House Republicans were trying to galvanize what would amount to a rebellion against Boehner and their tea party colleagues by defeating the latest proposed spending plan with attached anti-Obamacare provisions.
However, a procedural vote on the measure passed with only six Republicans voting "no."
Without congressional approval of new spending legislation, parts of the federal government will begin shutting down when the current fiscal year ends at midnight, forcing agencies to furlough thousands of workers and curtail some services until there is a resolution.
"I feel sad about it. We expect more from our Congress," said Vick Temple, a worker for the Federal Aviation Administration who told CNN he faced being furloughed in a shutdown.
Polls show public opposition to a shutdown, and stocks ended lower Monday on Wall Street due to concerns over the economic impact.
Meanwhile, the two parties persisted in blaming the other side as the shutdown deadline neared.
Photos: Key players in the shutdown debate Photos: Key players in the shutdown debate
Lawmakers back and forth on shutdown Government shutdown looms Political effect of a government shutdown
Republican Rep. Renee Ellmers of North Carolina said on CNN's "New Day" that her party continues to be deeply concerned about Tuesday's scheduled opening of Obamacare health insurance exchanges and "keeping the checkbook out of Barack Obama's hands and the damage can be done there."
Get up to speed on the showdown
Rep. Debbie Wasserman Shultz, D-Florida, appearing alongside Ellmers, characterized the Republican strategy of tying overall government operations to at least a delay in health care changes as "irrational."
"It jeopardizes the economy and it makes no sense," she said.
On Monday morning, Obama told reporters he wasn't resigned to a shutdown, but he signaled its likelihood even as he indicated possible talks with congressional leaders.
"I suspect that I will be speaking to the leaders today, tomorrow and the next day," Obama said at a joint appearance with visiting Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who acknowledged the Washington brouhaha by thanking the president for meeting with him "on what I know is a very busy day for you."
Legislative ping pong
Last week, the Senate voted down a House GOP plan to eliminate funding for Obamacare in a short-term spending plan to keep the government running in the new fiscal year that begins Tuesday.
Democrats have pressured Boehner to give up a losing fight over Obamacare forced by tea party conservatives and instead hold a vote on a "clean" spending plan that includes no provisions seeking to undermine the health care reforms.
On CNN, Wasserman Schultz predicted that such a measure would pass easily with support from all Democrats and more moderate Republicans.
Some Republicans expressed frustration Monday with the tactics of their congressional colleagues. Veteran GOP Sen. John McCain of Arizona noted that any attempt to repeal Obamacare would fail because of Obama's veto, which would require a two-thirds majority in the Senate to overcome.
"There's not 67 votes in the United States Senate, therefore, ergo, we're not going to repeal Obamacare," McCain said. "OK? That's it. We may do this for a day. We may do it for a week. We may do it for a month. It's going to end up the same way. "
GOP Rep. Charlie Dent of Pennsylvania told CNN Chief Congressional Correspondent Dana Bash that whichever party was to blame, a shutdown will make everyone look bad.
"At this point, the hourglass is nearly empty," Dent said. "Now that we've sent over two volleys to the U.S. Senate and they rejected both."
Trying again would only yield the same result, he continued, adding that "sooner or later, we have to pass a clean resolution to fund the government before the end of the day."
"I believe the votes are there to do it," Dent said.
10 ways the shutdown would affect you
Obamacare a GOP focus
Obama and Democrats reject what they call Republican efforts to use the threat of a government shutdown to force negotiations on the president's signature health care reforms.
Noting that the 2010 Affordable Care Act has been upheld by the Supreme Court, they say it is settled law that voters endorsed last year by re-electing Obama over GOP candidate Mitt Romney, who campaigned on repealing it.
A new CNN/ORC poll shows that Americans are not happy about the prospect of a shutdown, which is happening because Congress has been unable to pass a budget for the new fiscal year that begins Tuesday.
A game of chicken between Dems, GOP
According to the poll, 68% of Americans think shutting down the government for even a few days is a bad idea, while 27% think it's a good idea.
And it appears most Americans would blame congressional Republicans for a shutdown: Sixty-nine percent said they agreed with the statement that the party's elected officials were acting like "spoiled children."
Democrats, however, weren't far behind: Fifty-eight percent of respondents said they too were acting like spoiled kids.
A poll later showed public support for Congress at record low levels.
Stock traders also seemed solidly against a shutdown. The Dow Jones Industrial Average fell by more than 120 points, or nearly 1 percent, and the other two major indexes also closed lower.
Among major economic issues that could result from a shutdown: delays in processing FHA housing loan applications -- a potential drag on the housing recovery -- and the potential loss of government spending that's helping prop up the economy, said Christine Romans, host of CNN's "Your Money."
"You've got an economy right now that's very tied to government spending and government contracts, so that could have a ripple effect all across Main Street," she said on CNN's "New Day."
If the government does shut down, it would be the first time it has happened in more than 17 years. That previous shutdown, sparked by a budget battle between Democratic President Bill Clinton and a Republican Congress, lasted for 21 days.
CNN Poll: GOP would bear the brunt of shutdown blame
While the military will remain on duty, as will many essential public safety, health and welfare operations, many government offices will close. About a quarter of the federal government's 3.3 million employees -- those frequently referred to as "nonessential" -- will be told to stay home from work until the shutdown is over.
Late Monday, Obama signed a bill to guarantee pay for active duty military if the government shuts down.
Attorney General Eric Holder and Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel said essential crime prevention and military services would continue, but some workers would be furloughed. Holder said he would cut his pay by the same amount as the most severely affected Justice Department employees because "we are all in this together."
Meet the man behind the government shutdown


Source:http://edition.cnn.com/2013/09/30/politics/shutdown-showdown/index.html?hpt=hp_t1

I know the issue! It is the opposition and a section of the country who are making it impossible for Obama to govern! Obama stop blowing grammar and trying to solve this logjam, blame it on others jare or come to naija for GEJ to lecture you properly!

andresia: I know the issue! It is the opposition and a section of the country who are making it impossible for Obama to govern! Obama stop blowing grammar and trying to solve this logjam, blame it on others jare or come to naija for GEJ to lecture you properly!

The republicans probably don't like that Obama is finally going to pass a government run health care as per a black man and the private insurance companies are pro Republicans. Also this one make sense the budget will put america into more debt with this Obama health care.

I have said it in several fora that America is not the best democracy. I'm happy that they have shutdown, let see how they resolve this impasse. Partisanship my foot

Nosa-Henry:
I have said it in several fora that America is not the best democracy. I'm happy that they have shutdown, let see how they resolve this impasse. Partisanship my foot

Mumu that's the beauty if Democracy. Thats what's called Democracy in the real sense not the rubbish u guys claim to practice where it's rigging from top to bottom. If it was ur Senate they would've started brawling. Remove the log in ur eyes first.....

*Na demokirasy be dati o* in Baba Fela's voice.
One thing is for sure, they'll sort themselves out! They know they can't afford to stay that way. Wait, can they even afford to not stay that way? Tis a madaz quagmire. I'd love to see what this turns into.

Is this a type of ASUU tinz?

I listened to CNN and the reporter was sounding as if US actually shuts down then the whole world would be in trouble. America have such an ego and proud that they think they matters to everybody. The last shut down was on 1995 and nobody could even recount it. Americans economy doesnt even matter to the world anymore

'Strikes and Shutdown happens everywhere' - GEJ

probably a blessing in disguise.

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - A U.S. government
shutdown is possible on Tuesday, the first day
of fiscal 2014, because Congress has so far
failed to find a way to pay for it.
A closure would have far-reaching
consequences at federal agencies dealing with
everything from sending out Social Security
checks to collecting admission fees at
national parks.
Here is a roundup of how the impact would be
felt:
FEDERAL WORKERS: As many as 1 million
U.S. federal employees could face unpaid
furloughs or payless paydays, according to the
president of the American Federation of
Government Employees, which represents
670,000 union members.
NATIONAL PARKS: National parks would close,
meaning a loss of 750,000 daily visitors and
an economic loss to gateway communities of
as much as $30 million for each day parks are
shut, according to the non-profit National
Parks Conservation Association.
DEFENSE DEPARTMENT: All military personnel
would continue on normal duty status, but
many civilian employees would be temporarily
furloughed, Deputy Defense Secretary Ashton
Carter said in a memo. He said furlough
notices would be issued on Tuesday, October
1, if no agreement to fund the government is
reached.
The ratings agency Standard & Poor's said a
shutdown of less than two weeks would not
materially affect the credit of big defense
contractors, though a longer shutdown could
weaken smaller defense contractors. Most
defense contractors would not be paid, new
contracts would not start and orders would be
delayed, with service contracts hardest hit,
S&P said.
INTERNAL REVENUE SERVICE: Most of the
federal tax agency's 90,000 employees would
be furloughed. Taxpayers who requested an
extension beyond the April 15 deadline to file
their 2012 taxes must do so by October 15,
and they will still be able to file these returns
even if the IRS is still shut down then.
FEDERAL RESERVE AND OTHER FINANCIAL
AGENCIES: The Fed would stay open, since it
does not depend on congressional
appropriations to operate; so would the
Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, which
the Fed funds. The Federal Deposit Insurance
Corp and the Office of the Comptroller of the
Currency pay for themselves and would remain
open. The Commodity Futures Trading
Commission has been rushing through
approvals for a new, untested type of trading
platform ahead of a possible shutdown, its
top regulator said.
JUSTICE DEPARTMENT: Fewer than 18,000 of
the department's 114,486 employees would be
furloughed, and if the furlough is prolonged,
some of those could be brought back to work.
Criminal litigation would continue under a
government shutdown, while civil litigation
would be curtailed or postponed as much as
possible "without compromising to a
significant degree the safety of human life or
the protection of property," the department
said in its contingency plan.
COURTS: The U.S. Supreme Court would
probably operate normally, as it has during
previous shutdowns, but a spokesman
declined to share the high court's plans.
Federal courts would remain open for
approximately 10 business days if the
government closes on October 1, and would
reassess on or about October 15.
NATIONAL INSTITUTES OF HEALTH: The
agency's research hospital in Bethesda,
Maryland, would take no new patients.
U.S. TRADE REPRESENTATIVE'S OFFICE:
Already squeezed by automatic spending cuts
imposed by so-called sequester, the USTR
office has cut back on travel to the 41
countries where there are concerns about
intellectual property, Trade Representative
Michael Froman said.
ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY: EPA
Administrator Gina McCarthy said this week
that the agency would effectively shut down
with only a core group of individuals available
in case of a "significant emergency."
AGRICULTURE DEPARTMENT: USDA meat
inspectors would stay on the job, industry
experts said. Statistical reports would be
delayed. An October 1 shutdown would come
as the agency is surveying farmers and
checking fields for yields and acreage in
advance of the October 11 crop report. A
government closure of more than a few days
could delay the report, relied upon by traders
and food manufacturers as the best estimate
available of the U.S. food supply.
WASHINGTON, D.C., SIGHTS: Some popular
tourist spots in the nation's capital would
probably close, including the FDR Memorial,
the Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts,
the Library of Congress, the Lincoln Memorial,
the National Archives, the National Zoo and
all Smithsonian Museums.

we are having a shutdown party rightnow,lol

Nonybb: I listened to CNN and the reporter was sounding as if US actually shuts down then the whole world would be in trouble. America have such an ego and proud that they think they matters to everybody. The last shut down was on 1995 and nobody could even recount it. Americans economy doesnt even matter to the world anymore

You think he was joking? You don't know how things work in this dollar denominated world.

Here is the issue: The senate do not have a budget, the government have been sustained by periodical funding bills.

Now it is time to extend it and the Republicans want to use it as a leverage to attack and defund the Healthcare Law. Shame on them.

Ooh God!! My next door neighbor is going to be terribly upset. He suffers from some syndrome, he claims. He is married to American tribal Indian. Between the two of them, close to $12,000/month gratuity. They have not worked in 20yrs. If Govt shut down and they dont get their money this fall season is going to be hot.

are the border guards working?

daywatcher: are the border guards working?

No.Time to stroll in

daywatcher: are the border guards working?

Nope! Wanna stowaway?

daywatcher: are the border guards working?

Are you thinking what am thinking??

I thought it was merely a joke and that by midnight the legislators would have reached a consensus. So,it's true?