"The federal government has shut down for the first time since 2018. The first shutdown in over five years began just after midnight on Wednesday, after a standoff between Senate Republicans and Democrats over healthcare spending culminated in their failure to pass a pair of last-ditch funding bills. Both parties are blaming each other, though a new NPR/PBS News/Marist poll shows that more Americans hold Republicans responsible for the impasse."
"The shutdown means several hundred thousand federal employees and active-duty service members will work without pay. It throws into question the operating status of sites like national parks and the Smithsonian Institution. And, while services like Social Security benefits and passport applications will continue, they could start to see delays. Some of those impacts could be felt sooner than others. And it's not clear how long the shutdown could stretch on."
The federal government has shut down after Senate Republicans and Democrats failed to pass two last-ditch funding bills following a standoff over healthcare spending. Hundreds of thousands of federal employees and active-duty service members will work without pay. Operations of national parks and the Smithsonian Institution face uncertain status, and Social Security benefits and passport processing may continue but could experience delays. Polling shows more Americans blame Republicans for the impasse. The most recent shutdown from December 2018 to January 2019 lasted 35 days and cost an estimated $3 billion in GDP; multiweek shutdowns are relatively rare but have become more common in recent decades.
Read at www.npr.org
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