The federal government shut down for the first time since October 2013 as Congress has been unable to agree on legislation to fund the government past Friday.
Despite holding the White House and both the House and Senate, Republicans have been unable to get enough support to pass a bill. The measure fell short in the Senate late Friday.
The last shutdown cost the economy as much as $6 billion, according to the Office of Management and Budget.
Only six House Democrats, including Rep. Josh Gottheimer, D-5th Dist., supported funding the government through Feb. 16. Both New Jersey senators -- Democrats Cory Booker and Robert Menendez -- voted no.
Senate Debates Passage Of Continuing Resolution As Shutdown Deadline Looms
Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer of New York speaks briefly with reporters after meeting with U.S. President Donald Trump. (Win McNamee | Getty Images)
Despite efforts by Trump and Republicans to blame the out-of-power Democrats, an ABC News/Washington Post poll released Friday said the party running the government would be held responsible for any shutdown.
Almost half, 48 percent, said they would blame Trump and the Republicans, while 28 percent said they would blame the Democrats and 18 percent would place blame on both sides.
The poll of 1,005 adults was conducted Jan. 15-18 and had a margin of error of 3.5 percentage points.
What happened the last time?
The government shut down for 16 days in 2013 after House Republicans refused to pass any spending bill that didn't curtail the Affordable Care Act. The House GOP, egged on by Tea Party-backed U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, eventually aquiesed.
More than half of Americans, 53 percent, blamed Republicans for the shutdown but it didn't prevent the GOP from holding the House and capturing the Senate in 2014.
What's the holdup?
Democrats want to restore protections for 690,000 unauthorized immigrants brought to the U.S. as children, the so-called dreamers. Trump rescinded an executive order allowing them to stay in the country and gave Congress until March 5 to pass legislation.
The Trump administration and GOP leaders are not willing to discuss immigration at the same time they are trying to fund the government.
But since Senate Democratic votes are needed to pass a spending bill, the party has leverage and lawmakers are demanding that any legislation allow the dreamers to stay.
Most Democrats in both houses are not willing to vote on Republican legislation that includes none of their priorities.
Gottheimer broke with his party when he supported the House bill.
"Unfortunately, this legislation wouldn’t have kept the dreamers here," he said. "But voting against it would have hurt every resident of New Jersey. I voted to fund children’s health care, our military, and first responders — and I voted to cut taxes for Jersey families and to stop new taxes on Jersey businesses.”
Here's what could happen if the government shuts down.
Lt. Elias Mine with the 2nd Air Refueling Squadron on a KC-10 Extender during midair refueling of Air Force and Navy aircraft. (Michael Mancuso | For NJ.com)
The military
U.S. troops would remain on duty, as would Border Patrol agents and other federal law enforcement forces. They just wouldn't get paid until a spending bill was passed.
"We're asking the military to work without pay," said Mick Mulvaney, director of the White House Office of Management and Budget. "All of these people will be working for nothing, which is simply not fair."
The entrance to Bryce Canyon National Park in Utah. (Rhona Wise | AFP/Getty Images)
National parks
President Barack Obama responded to the House Republican-led 2013 federal government shutdown by closing the national parks and monuments, successfully reasoning that the public would be upset. A group of World War II veterans who came to Washington to visit the WWII memorial found the entrance blocked (but went around the barrier anyway).
That's going to be different this time.
"The parks will be open," Mulvaney said, "The way it works is that the parks are open, but the -- especially if the services are provided by third parties -- but things like the trash won't get picked up."
A private parks concessionaire, Xanterra Parks & Resorts, said its businesses would remain open in the event of a shutdown. Xanterra has the concessions, including restaurants and lodges, in Yellowstone, Grand Canyon, Crater Lake, Mt. Rushmore and Zion national parks, as well as the Oasis at Death Valley and the Grand Canyon Railway.
Federal payments
While Social Security checks would continue, grants to school districts, small-business loans, veterans' disability claims and contract awards could be delayed. So could tax refunds.
A Transportation Security Administration screener at Newark Liberty International Airport.
Air travel
Security agents will continue to screen airline passengers and air traffic controllers will continue to direct airplanes in flight.
A woman drops off her mail in a New Jersey mailbox. (Aristide Economopoulos | NJ Advance Media for NJ.com)
U.S. mail
A government shutdown would join snow, rain, heat and gloom of night in not keeping the mail from going through. The U.S. Postal Service, with its own budget and own source of revenue, would continue delivering letters and packages.
A copy of a IRS 1040 tax form at an H&R Block office in Miami. (Joe Raedle } Getty Images)
Internal Revenue Service
Most IRS employees would be furloughed at a time that they need to be gearing up for the new Republican tax bill, including developing new tables to tell employers how much less to withhold from their workers' paychecks.
Environmental enforcement
The Washington Post estimated that 95 percent of Environmental Protection Agency staff would be told to stay home.
“If the government shuts down, no one will be monitoring the air or our drinking water to make sure it’s clean," said Jeff Tittel, director of the New Jersey Sierra Club. "There also be no one cleaning up toxic sites. Without enforcement it will be more likely to have accidents or deliberate dumping of chemicals. Polluters are not going to get caught if enforcement is sent home."
The U.S. Capitol at dawn. (AP Photo | J. Scott Applewhite)
Congress
Members of Congress would continue to get paid. Not so their staffs. While some aides could continue to work, others would be have to be furloughed.
The Supreme Court building in Washington is seen at sunset. (AP Photo | J. Scott Applewhite)
The courts
Federal judges will continue to get paid and can continue to hear cases. Some cases could be postponed, as they were during previous shutdowns, according to a Congressional Research Service report.
