US government shut down, some services continue to operate, museums closing

(Patria) - The US government has shut down after Democrats and Republicans failed to reach an agreement and pass a funding bill.

This is the first US government shutdown in nearly seven years. The last time this happened was in 2018 during the first term of Donald Trump.

On Monday, Trump met with all four leaders in Congress - the top Democrats in the House of Representatives and the Senate, as well as their Republican counterparts. But there was little progress, and both sides stuck to their initial positions.

Republicans control both chambers of Congress, but they lacked the 60 votes in the Senate needed to pass a spending bill. So, the result of the government shutdown is essentially the inability of the two sides to agree and pass a funding bill. In the past, long shutdowns were usually considered politically dangerous, disrupting the daily lives of voters.

What is different this time is that the Trump administration seems more than happy to shut down large parts of the US government for an extended period. They have even threatened to use the government shutdown to "identify non-essential" workers who could then be permanently laid off.

Services such as immigration law enforcement, air traffic control, military operations, and social security will not be halted. However, if employees do not receive salaries due to a prolonged blockade, there could be delays in numerous services.

The popular Smithsonian museum complex announced that it has enough funds to operate for only seven more days. The Senate will hold new votes on temporary funding measures on Wednesday.