Deep party differences stopped Congress and the White House from striking a financial agreement, forcing the US government to shut down most of its activities on Wednesday.
This might be the beginning of a protracted and exhausting confrontation that could result in the loss of thousands of federal jobs.While agencies warned that the 15th government shutdown since 1981 would prevent the release of a highly anticipated September employment report, slow air travel, halt scientific research, withhold pay from US troops, and result in the furlough of 750,000 federal workers at a daily cost of $400 million, there was no obvious way out of the stalemate.
A shutdown might pave the way for "irreversible" measures like slashing more jobs and programs, Trump warned congressional Democrats, whose effort to drastically restructure the federal government is already on track to force out some 300,000 workers by December.
Hours after the Senate rejected a short term spending plan that would have maintained government operations through November 21, the shutdown officially began.
Republicans failure to include an extension of health benefits for millions of Americans that are set to expire at the end of the year caused Democrats to oppose the package.
Republicans argue that the matter ought to be handled independently.
On the government funding front, $1.7 trillion for agency operations roughly 25% of the government's $7 trillion budget is at stake.
The majority of the remaining funds are used for interest payments on the mounting $37.5 trillion debt as well as health and retirement programs.
With Trump and White House officials threatening to punish Democrats with cuts to government services and the federal payroll, independent analysts warn the shutdown may extend longer than previous budget related closures.
Last week, Russell Vought, the budget director for Trump, who has advocated for "less bipartisan" budgets, threatened to implement permanent layoffs in the case of a shutdown.
