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The US government began a partial shutdown on Tuesday for the first time in 17 years, putting up potentially 1 million workers on unpaid leave, closing national parks and stalling medical research projects. Federal agencies were directed to cut back services after lawmakers could not break a political stalemate especially on Barack Obama's Affordable Care Act in the budget legislation they sent up to Senate.
After House Republicans floated a late offer to break the logjam, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid rejected the idea, saying Democrats would not enter into formal negotiations on spending "with a gun to our head" in the form of government shutdowns.
In the hours leading up to the deadline, the Democratic-controlled Senate repeatedly stripped measures passed by the House that tied temporary funding for government operations to delaying or scaling back the Affordable Care Act healthcare overhaul known as Obamacare.
Shortly after midnight, President Barack Obama tweeted: "The Affordable Care Act is moving forward. You can't shut it down."
Obama in a letter blamed the House of Representatives for the stalemate and said he would keep working to get Congress to reopen the government and restart vital services.
This shutdown was completely preventable. It should not have happened. "And the House of Representatives can end it as soon as it follows the Senate's lead, and funds your work in the United States Government without trying to attach highly controversial and partisan measures in the process.
The Senate on Tuesday morning voted 54-46 to reject the request for formal negotiations to end the impasse.
The last shutdown was in 1995 and 1996 and cost taxpayers $1.4 billion, according to congressional researchers.
After House Republicans floated a late offer to break the logjam, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid rejected the idea, saying Democrats would not enter into formal negotiations on spending "with a gun to our head" in the form of government shutdowns.
In the hours leading up to the deadline, the Democratic-controlled Senate repeatedly stripped measures passed by the House that tied temporary funding for government operations to delaying or scaling back the Affordable Care Act healthcare overhaul known as Obamacare.
Shortly after midnight, President Barack Obama tweeted: "The Affordable Care Act is moving forward. You can't shut it down."
Obama in a letter blamed the House of Representatives for the stalemate and said he would keep working to get Congress to reopen the government and restart vital services.
This shutdown was completely preventable. It should not have happened. "And the House of Representatives can end it as soon as it follows the Senate's lead, and funds your work in the United States Government without trying to attach highly controversial and partisan measures in the process.
The Senate on Tuesday morning voted 54-46 to reject the request for formal negotiations to end the impasse.
The last shutdown was in 1995 and 1996 and cost taxpayers $1.4 billion, according to congressional researchers.
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