Washington, D.C. | The US government officially shut down early Wednesday morning after Republicans and Democrats failed to reach a deal spending bill deal. Many government officials are uncertain when the shutdown will end as federal employees are furloughed and federal buildings and entities are closed.
Republicans and Democrats failed to reach a spending bill deal in part because of disagreements in Affordable Care Act (also known as Obamacare) subsidies. After cuts to Medicaid and healthcare, Democrats were looking for that funding to be reinstated, as 10 million people are at risk of losing healthcare due to these cuts. Republicans were unable to get the 60 votes they needed from Democrats to pass the bill and keep the government open. A second vote is scheduled for later Wednesday morning, but most officials are prepared for it to fail as many Democrats have publicly stated they will not vote yes until cuts to healthcare and public media have been reinstated.
What does this mean for us? Those who are directly and instantly affected include federal employees and federal entities considered non-critical. From national parks to government entities like the Department of Education, hundreds of thousands of government employees are currently furloughed, with the risk of mass firings, according to President Trump, imminent. Entities like Homeland Security and the Department of Defense (War) will remain open and working.
