US shutdown: federal government suspends operations
The US federal government has officially shut down for the first time in six years after Congress reached an impasse and failed to pass a funding bill to keep it running.
This was reported by Censor.NET with reference to CNN.
As noted, no one in the Capitol knows what will happen next. Thus, Republicans insist that Democrats simply need to agree to extend current funding for another seven weeks. Democrats refuse to do so without significant concessions in voting on any funding bill in the Senate.
According to Reuters, the Senate rejected a temporary bill that would have extended government funding until 21 November. Democrats opposed it because Republicans refused to include an extension of medical benefits in the bill.
According to Ukrinform, the latest attempts by lawmakers to reach an agreement on Tuesday were unsuccessful.
The White House Office of Management and Budget has already sent orders to US federal agencies to implement plans to suspend work due to the government shutdown.
For reference
In the United States, a shutdown is a temporary suspension of federal government operations due to a lack of funding.
If lawmakers fail to agree on a budget or temporary funding, government agencies lose the right to spend money. Some civil servants are forced to take unpaid leave. Others whose functions are critical (the army, police, etc.) continue to work but will only receive their salaries once funding is restored.
