WASHINGTON - With the House and Senate unable to agree on a government-funding bill before a midnight Monday deadline, the federal government will shut down for the first time in 17 years.
“Unfortunately, we do not have a clear indication that Congress will act in time for the president to sign a continuing resolution before the end of the day tomorrow, October 1, 2013. Therefore, agencies should now execute plans for an orderly shutdown due to the absence of appropriations,” wrote OMB director Sylvia M. Burwell in a memorandum circulated at 11:45 Eastern time.
The federal government was shut down twice in 1995-96, when Bill Clinton was president and New Gingrich was the speaker of the House, but has not closed since then.
Burwell, as President Barack Obama did repeatedly Monday, urged Congress to pass short-term legislation that would extend the funding for the remainder of the fiscal year and “restore the operation of critical public services and programs that will be impacted by a lapse in appropriations.”
In a message broadcast to U.S. military personnel broadcast at midnight, Obama said, “Unfortunately, Congress has not fulfilled its responsibility. It has failed to pass a budget and, as a result, much of our government must now shut down until Congress funds it again.”
Illinois Republican Sen. Mark Kirk said both sides need to compromise to end the stalemate.
"It is unfortunate that partisan differences have brought us to a shutdown of our government. From day one I maintained that while I do not support ObamaCare, a shutdown of the federal government will have a negative impact on our markets and the economy. If we are to overcome this impasse, both sides must be willing to compromise," he said in a statement.
Senate Democrats late on Monday rejected a last-ditch proposal by House Republicans to establish a negotiating panel to work out a spending deal and end a looming government shutdown.
Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid said he would not enter such a negotiation "with a gun to our head" as government funding was running out in less than one hour. Reid called on Republicans to instead pass a Senate-approved measure that would keep the government funded through Nov. 15.
With the government shutdown under way, the Senate planned to recess until the morning, at which time Democrats will formally reject the House of Representatives' latest offer for funding the government.
The House and Senate routinely resolve differences in legislation through negotiations with conference committees that include members from both houses, but rarely done a crisis-like situation like this with so little time remaining before a government shutdown.
Republicans, though, were determined to send the Senate one more offer, and with it, an attempt to shift blame for shutting down the government to the other chamber, which is controlled by Democrats.
“It means we’re the reasonable, responsible actors trying to keep the process alive as the clock ticks past midnight, despite Washington Democrats refusal – thus far – to negotiate,” a GOP leadership aide told the Los Angeles Times.
Earlier on Monday, competing spending measures flew back and forth between the Republican-controlled House of Representatives and Democratic-led Senate with increasing rapidity and without any sign of compromise.The House repeatedly insisted that the measure to temporarily fund the government must include a delay of Obamacare, and the Senate kept stripping the delay out.
An anticipated revolt by moderate House Republicans fizzled earlier on Monday after House Speaker John Boehner made personal appeals to many of them to back him on a key procedural vote, said Republican Representative Peter King of New York.
"John said, 'This is going to work out. Trust me,'" said King, one of only a handful of at least two dozen House Republican moderates who rejected the appeal and voted "no."
Boehner prevailed on the procedural vote 225-204.
After Boehner made his personal appeal, House Democratic Whip Steyn Toyer called on him to permit a vote on a simple extension of federal funding of the government without any Obamacare add-on.
"I dare you to do that," Toyer roared, confident such a measure would win bipartisan approval. "Let democracy work."
"WRENCH INTO THE GEARS"
“Unfortunately, we do not have a clear indication that Congress will act in time for the president to sign a continuing resolution before the end of the day tomorrow, October 1, 2013. Therefore, agencies should now execute plans for an orderly shutdown due to the absence of appropriations,” wrote OMB director Sylvia M. Burwell in a memorandum circulated at 11:45 Eastern time.
The federal government was shut down twice in 1995-96, when Bill Clinton was president and New Gingrich was the speaker of the House, but has not closed since then.
Burwell, as President Barack Obama did repeatedly Monday, urged Congress to pass short-term legislation that would extend the funding for the remainder of the fiscal year and “restore the operation of critical public services and programs that will be impacted by a lapse in appropriations.”
In a message broadcast to U.S. military personnel broadcast at midnight, Obama said, “Unfortunately, Congress has not fulfilled its responsibility. It has failed to pass a budget and, as a result, much of our government must now shut down until Congress funds it again.”
Illinois Republican Sen. Mark Kirk said both sides need to compromise to end the stalemate.
"It is unfortunate that partisan differences have brought us to a shutdown of our government. From day one I maintained that while I do not support ObamaCare, a shutdown of the federal government will have a negative impact on our markets and the economy. If we are to overcome this impasse, both sides must be willing to compromise," he said in a statement.
Senate Democrats late on Monday rejected a last-ditch proposal by House Republicans to establish a negotiating panel to work out a spending deal and end a looming government shutdown.
Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid said he would not enter such a negotiation "with a gun to our head" as government funding was running out in less than one hour. Reid called on Republicans to instead pass a Senate-approved measure that would keep the government funded through Nov. 15.
With the government shutdown under way, the Senate planned to recess until the morning, at which time Democrats will formally reject the House of Representatives' latest offer for funding the government.
The House and Senate routinely resolve differences in legislation through negotiations with conference committees that include members from both houses, but rarely done a crisis-like situation like this with so little time remaining before a government shutdown.
Republicans, though, were determined to send the Senate one more offer, and with it, an attempt to shift blame for shutting down the government to the other chamber, which is controlled by Democrats.
“It means we’re the reasonable, responsible actors trying to keep the process alive as the clock ticks past midnight, despite Washington Democrats refusal – thus far – to negotiate,” a GOP leadership aide told the Los Angeles Times.
Earlier on Monday, competing spending measures flew back and forth between the Republican-controlled House of Representatives and Democratic-led Senate with increasing rapidity and without any sign of compromise.The House repeatedly insisted that the measure to temporarily fund the government must include a delay of Obamacare, and the Senate kept stripping the delay out.
An anticipated revolt by moderate House Republicans fizzled earlier on Monday after House Speaker John Boehner made personal appeals to many of them to back him on a key procedural vote, said Republican Representative Peter King of New York.
"John said, 'This is going to work out. Trust me,'" said King, one of only a handful of at least two dozen House Republican moderates who rejected the appeal and voted "no."
Boehner prevailed on the procedural vote 225-204.
After Boehner made his personal appeal, House Democratic Whip Steyn Toyer called on him to permit a vote on a simple extension of federal funding of the government without any Obamacare add-on.
"I dare you to do that," Toyer roared, confident such a measure would win bipartisan approval. "Let democracy work."
"WRENCH INTO THE GEARS"