http://9jaflave..com/2013/10/us-government-shutdown-in-effect.html

The U.S. government finally shut down nearly all services this morning after Congress failed to strike a deal to fund public spending before the deadline expired at midnight.

The White House ordered non-essential services to stop operating shortly before midnight local time, the first shutdown for more than 17 years.

Barack Obama has been locked in battle with the Republicans, who insisted that they would not pass a bill to fund the government unless Democrats agreed to delay the President's signature healthcare reforms by a year. I guess the senators and reps are still getting paid!

The U.S. Senate, which is controlled by Democrats, refused to negotiate with the Republican-dominated House of Representatives over 'Obamacare', which requires every American to buy health insurance or pay a fine.

This lack of compromise means that nearly a million federal workers will go on unpaid leave until the two legislative bodies come to an agreement. Critical functions such as air traffic control and military operations will continue, while the elderly will still receive Social Security pension payments.

Meanwhile, the White House rejected a Republican plan to reopen portions of the U.S. government on Tuesday as the first shutdown in 17 years closed landmarks like the Statue of Liberty and threw hundreds of thousands of federal employees out of work.

"They've shut down the government over an ideological crusade to deny affordable health insurance to millions of Americans," Obama said in the White House Rose Garden.

In Washington, museums were closed to tourists and police erected barriers around landmarks like the Lincoln Memorial. The National Zoo shut off a popular "panda cam" that allowed visitors to view its newborn panda cub online.

Though the impact was likely to be most apparent in the Washington region, it will be felt across the country as the federal government maintains offices in every major city and parks and other facilities are spread across all 50 states.

http://9jaflave..com/2013/10/us-government-shutdown-in-effect.html

The rich also cry.