The federal government has shut down for the first time in more than six years.
Federal workers deemed non-essential will be furloughed, many services will be suspended or delayed, and some economic data won't be produced, among many other impacts.
Republicans say they did their part by advocating for an extension of government funding at current levels while bipartisan negotiators work through longer-term appropriations bills.
Democrats, who say they don't trust President Trump to follow Congress's lead on spending, have sought to tie the funding debate to a push to extend health care subsidies for millions of Americans and roll back the administration's deep cuts to Medicaid.
Hours before the shutdown began, both parties on Tuesday night blocked spending bills from the other, as they did earlier this month.
Democrats voted almost unanimously against a GOP bill to fund the government through mid-November. Republicans uniformly rejected a Democratic proposal to fund the government for a month while permanently extending health insurance premiums and rolling back the Medicaid cuts.
Afterward, Office of Management and Budget (OMB) Director Russell Vought issued a memo directing agencies to begin executing their plans for an "orderly shutdown."
Here are five looming questions as the shutdown begins:
How long will the shutdown last?
The last major government shutdown, which took place during Trump's first term, was also the country's longest-ever, running 35 days.
Unlike in previous funding battles, both sides this time appeared to have incentives to shut down the government — and both hope they can win the messaging wars.
While Republican and Democratic leaders have long shied away from shutdowns as politically devastating, the politics this time set up a situation where neither side felt a particular need to cave.
Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) faced enormous pressure to oppose the "clean" stopgap measure pushed by Republicans after he drew progressives' fury for agreeing to back a GOP funding bill in the spring.
And since it was Democrats in the position of asking for something to be included to secure their support, rather than simply extending funding, Republicans felt they could easily blame them for unnecessarily tying up the process.
How long this shutdown lasts depends on how well each side believes it's faring in the eyes of the public and if the political cost of staying dug in ultimately outweighs acquiescing.
One area to watch is whether either side agrees to a shorter-term funding bill — under two weeks — to get the government's lights back on, at least temporarily. Leaders previously ruled out a seven- or 10-day continuing resolution early this week.
Will either side cave on health premiums?
The biggest sticking point heading into the shutdown was whether to include an extension of Affordable Care Act (ACA) premium tax credits as part of a deal to fund the government.
The subsidies, which expire at the end of this year, were included in the American Rescue Plan Act signed by then-President Biden in 2021 and later extended in Democrats' reconciliation plan.
Democrats made extending the subsidies now rather than later their line in the sand ahead of the shutdown.
Schumer at the White House meeting Monday emphasized the financial impact that will be levied on families if the subsidies expire, saying it could add several hundred dollars to monthly bills.
Republicans broadly rejected Democrats' rationale, alternatingly arguing that the subsidies go to wealthier Americans and that Democrats want to provide health care for immigrants without legal status.
The nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office said earlier this month that fully extending the subsidies would cost up to $350 billion through 2035. If the credits expire next year, 4 million people are projected to lose coverage, and costs would rise for millions more.
Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-S.D.) said in a Sunday interview that the subsidies will require "reforms" to get GOP support, describing them as "waste, fraud and abuse." Some conservatives have pushed to drop the credits entirely.
How far does Trump go with federal layoffs?
The White House amped up pressure on Democrats last week with a memo from OMB directing agencies to prepare for mass layoffs in the event of a lapse in discretionary funding starting Oct. 1.
While some federal employees are typically furloughed during shutdowns, the memo signaled the Trump administration seeks to permanently fire personnel during the shutdown.
The White House reiterated this week that federal layoffs are coming. Trump said Tuesday that "a lot" of federal workers may be laid off, while not offering specifics.
"We can do things during the shutdown that are irreversible, that are bad for them and irreversible by them," Trump said of Democrats later in the day. "Like cutting vast numbers of people out, cutting things that they like, cutting programs that they like."
Democratic leaders dismissed the initial threat to lay off workers as a tactic to force them to agree to the House-passed "clean" funding bill.
But some Democratic lawmakers have quietly expressed worry about the layoffs, with little assurance that seeking to block the move in court will be successful.
The administration in recent months has also rehired hundreds of workers across multiple departments, calling into question how many roles it hopes to permanently axe.
What government services will be most affected?
Depending on how long the shutdown lasts, the impact could be increasingly severe.
Most immediately, many federal employees will cease working as they're furloughed. That will mean fewer people to handle services across numerous programs and agencies. Those who are deemed essential will continue working without pay.
U.S. airlines have already warned of flights delays, and airport wait times likely also will be longer. Air traffic controllers and Transportation Security Administration (TSA) employees are required to work without pay. During the last shutdown, a significant number of TSA employees called out sick.
Federal food benefits should be unaffected initially, but those who receive help from the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program could feel the effects if the shutdown lasts a few weeks.
An Agriculture Department spokesperson told Nexstar that benefits are provided to low-income families the month prior, so they should still be sent out as planned in October. But benefits for November could be delayed or interrupted if states don't receive instructions from the department in time.
Other effects include the Food and Drug Administration pausing its acceptance of new drug applications and certain medical device submissions, and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's communications with the public being interrupted.
The Hill's Rachel Frazin reports how the National Flood Insurance Program won't be able to issue new policies or renewals. This could cause those with flood insurance under the program to lose their coverage if the shutdown is prolonged.
The National Park Service issued an updated contingency plan Tuesday evening saying that most national parks will remain open, though thousands of employees won't be working.
Other key services will remain unobstructed. Social Security payments will still go out, and senior citizens will be able to have their health-related needs covered through Medicare.
Mail will also still be delivered as the U.S. Postal Service is an independent entity not reliant on tax dollars.
Who is likely to face the most blame?
In January 2019, during the last shutdown, 53 percent of Americans surveyed in an ABC News/Washington Post poll said they viewed Trump and GOP as mainly responsible compared with 29 percent who blamed Democrats.
That showdown ended after Trump dropped his demand for more funding for his proposed border wall. He later announced a national emergency at the southern border, allowing him to direct some funding for wall construction.
"Ultimately, Donald Trump and Republicans came to their senses," House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.) said Sunday on ABC's "This Week," adding he hoped for "a quick path out" of another shutdown.
This time, Democrats are making demands as part of a funding deal, while seeking to emphasize the GOP remains in control of all levers of government in Washington.
Predicting who will face the brunt of the public's blame in advance of a shutdown is difficult, and some early polling data is mixed.
A New York Times/Siena poll found almost two-thirds of respondents said Democrats shouldn't vote to shut down the government if their demands aren't met, including nearly 6 in 10 independents and 43 percent of Democrats.
Meanwhile, an NPR/PBS News/Marist Poll showed a plurality of 38 percent of respondents said Republicans would be mostly to blame if the government shuts down, while 27 percent said they'd mostly blame Democrats. Thirty-one percent said they'd blame both sides equally.
▪ The Hill: Five takeaways as a government shutdown begins.
▪ The Hill: When will the shutdown end? Lawmakers have no clue.
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