The government has #shutdown, so now it's time for us to rise up.
— YK Hong (@ykhong) October 1, 2013
Midnight in America has struck, and House Republicans have decided to shut down the government in their fight to eliminate a law they don't like, the Affordable Care Act.
What will be affected:
- National zoos and parks will close
- The Statue of Liberty will close
- Passports likely won't be processed
- The military will be paid in IOUs; businesses won't get small business loans; research at the National Institute of Health is shut down; a small number of Head Start programs will close and more as time goes on.
- According to US News and World Report, telephone assistance for tax payers is cancelled; the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's ability to respond to outbreak investigations is curtailed.
- The Federal Judiciary will remain working through Oct. 15
- According to the Boston Globe, the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants and Children, known as WIC, could shut down. Middle- and low-income borrowers probably won't be able to get mortgages. Federal occupational safety and health inspectors will stop workplace inspections except in cases of imminent danger.
- Economic reports such as the jobs report won't be available.
UPDATE: The Federal Highway Administration website just went dark.
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Watching the events live on C-SPAN we heard:
Steny Hoyer, D-Maryland: "President Obama won the election, and they won't accept that."
Pete Sessions, R-Texas: the House has tried to "compromise" and that "Mr. Reid refuses to negotiate."
Louise Slaughter, D-NY: "The proposal before us is just another way to run out the clock. At midnight the government will shut down, because they are trying to stop the bill you hate that is the law of the land, . I don't believe this is just a few people with odd ideas, this is the Republican Party.
"What the Republicans are doing to the psyche of American will be a long time to heal. There are no Democrat fingerprints on any of these bills. Democrats had no input at any time in these bills. The whole Democratic side has been shut out, not only this term but last term as well. It's not on us."
She said this train wreck is likely just a prelude to the debt limit fight that will break out in two weeks.
"We're hearing when we get to the debt limit in two weeks, they're putting together a Christmas list of everything they've ever wanted, and... they will shut the government down. When this is over and all that pain is out there, I hope we can work to (rectify that)."
Jim McGivern, D-Massachutsetts, "After six months of rejecting going into conference, Republicans say now they want to go into conference. It's over now, you own this. Your constituents are going to be hurt by your inability to do your jobs. You knew all along the President would never sign a bill that dismantled the Affordable Care Act. Your candidates lost badly. Your Senate candidates lost badly. The American people rejected your call to throw out the Affordable Care Act, and they do not want you to shut the government down. You're supposed to represent your constituents. This is a failure of your leadership."
Jared Polis, D-Colorado, called it a slow train wreck. "I understand many don't like the Affordable Care Act, the law of the land. Republicans said, "We've been unable to follow the constitution to get what we want, so we'll shut down the government."
"It is now midnight, and the great government of the United States is now closed."
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