WASHINGTON ‒ The federal government shut down at midnight on Oct. 1 as President Donald Trump and congressional Democrats blamed each other for failing to reach an agreement in a bitter standoff over funding the government.

It marks the 15th government shutdown since 1981, and there’s no immediate end in sight as congressional Democrats demand health-care policy changes that Trump and Republicans have refused to entertain.

Looming over the fight is the threat of mass layoffs, with Trump saying "vast numbers" of federal workers could be terminated. The White House Office of Management and Budget said in a recent email that workers whose activities are “not consistent with the President’s priorities” are a target. A pair of unions representing federal workers filed a lawsuit Sept. 30 over the threat.

The shutdown blame game also is ratcheting up. The White House website features a clock counting the amount of time "Democrats have shut down the government," while the Democratic National Committee wrote on social media early Oct. 1 that "Republicans own this shutdown."

The shutdown came after Senate Democrats on Tuesday night again blocked a Republican proposal to keep the government at existing funding levels through Nov. 21. The bill received 55 votes for passage, short of the 60-vote threshold to defeat a Democratic filibuster.

“There’s going to be some pain.” Vance says shutdown could hurt.

Vice President JD Vance in an Oct. 1 appearance on CBS Mornings said Americans could be harmed by the shutdown’s impact on government services.

“There are critical, essential services that the people rely on that are going to suffer because of this,” Vance said, adding: “There’s going to be some pain.”

Vance also appeared on Fox News, where he criticized Democrats’ focus on including an extension of health care subsidies in any government funding bill, saying “you don’t shut down the government because you have a policy disagreement about a totally separate issue.”

Congressional Democratic leaders – Sen. Chuck Schumer of New York and Rep. Hakeem Jeffries of New York – issued a joint statement at 12:01 a.m. Oct. 1 saying Trump and Republicans shut down the government “because they do not want to protect the healthcare of the American people.”

-Zac Anderson, Bart Jansen

Will a government shutdown impact my flight?

For the most part, no. Air passengers should still be able to continue with their flights during a partial government shutdown.

Those workers who screen at airport security checkpoints, give flight clearance, and verify at border control are deemed essential, so they are still required to work.

However, a group representing major U.S. airlines warned that a partial federal government shutdown could strain American aviation and slow flights, as air traffic controllers and security officers would be forced to work without pay and other functions would be halted.

Airline trade group Airlines for America, which represents United Airlines, Delta Air Lines, American Airlines, Southwest Airlines and others, warned that if funding lapses "the system may need to slow down, reducing efficiency" and impacting travelers.

-- Kathleen Wong

Smithsonian museums remaining open this week

The Smithsonian Institute’s museums, research centers, and the National Zoo remain open this week despite the government shutdown.

The organization posted on its website that it will use money from the last fiscal year’s budget to stay open at least through Monday, Oct. 6.

The Smithsonian has 17 museums and a zoo in the Washington, D.C. area plus two museums in New York City.

--Erin Mansfield

More government funding votes coming

The federal government began to shut down on Oct. 1 after Congress failed to pass a funding bill Sept. 30.

Lawmakers are expected to vote on the funding legislation again Oct. 1.

A Republican-backed funding measure failed in the Senate on a 55-45 vote. A Democrat-backed measure failed 47-53. There is a 60-vote threshold to pass most legislation in the Senate.

Sen. John Fetterman, D-Pennsylvania, Sen. Catherine Cortez Masto, D-Nevada, and Sen. Angus King, a Maine independent who caucuses with Democrats, joined Republicans in backing the GOP bill. More than half a dozen Democrats would need to support the legislation for it to pass.

-Zac Anderson

What does the government shutdown mean for mortgage borrowers?

Americans who are hoping to close on a mortgage soon – whether for a purchase or a refinance – may experience some delays as government functions are curtailed. Here are a few things to know:

Most mortgages that will be assumed by Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac should be unaffected, industry participants say. However, if your Social Security number needs to be verified, you may encounter delays.

If your mortgage comes from a rural housing program like those from the U.S. Department of Agriculture, expect delays. As the National Association of Realtors explains in an online memo to members, “new direct and guaranteed home loans, and any scheduled direct‑loan closings will be postponed. Pending conditional commitments for guaranteed loans are still being reviewed.”

If your mortgage comes from the Department of Veterans Affairs, you should also expect delays. “Some VA staff and support functions may be reduced, which may slow down approvals, appraisals and certificate of eligibility requests,” NAR says.

If you are working with a housing counselor affiliated with the Department of Housing and Urban Development, that agency may need to scale back or halt their activities, NAR says.

Buyers in flood-prone areas like Florida and Louisiana might encounter delays because the National Flood Insurance Program will not be funded. Some lenders may allow the purchase to proceed anyway, but that can create problems if a storm happens before insurance can be written, said Jeff Lichtenstein, president and broker of Echo Fine Properties in south Florida.

“Uncertainty in the marketplace might have some buyers just wanting to back out,” Lichtenstein told USA TODAY in an email. “Nothing good ever comes out of these things.”

-Andrea Riquier

White House website features shutdown clock

Trump is doing everything he can to blame Democrats for the shutdown, including featuring a shutdown clock on the White House website.

The top of the website displays the amount of time since “Democrats have shutdown the government.” There’s also a link to a video with clips of Democrats criticizing past shutdowns.

The Trump administration has used other government channels to blast out highly partisan shutdown messages, including a banner on the Department of Housing and Urban Development website declaring the “radical left” is shutting down the government.

Democrats say blame for the shutdown lies with the GOP.

“Republicans own this shutdown,” the Democratic National Committee posted on social media early Oct. 1.

-Zac Anderson

What’s on President Trump’s schedule Wednesday?

President Donald Trump is planning on the first day of the government shutdown to sign executive orders in the Oval Office at 4:30 p.m., according to the White House.

Earlier in the day, Vice President JD Vance is scheduled to be on 'CBS Mornings' at 7 a.m. EST, according to the network.

At 1 p.m., White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt is scheduled to address reporters during a press briefing.

- Sarah D. Wire

When will lawmakers return?

The Senate will reconvene at 10 a.m. Wednesday. Votes are expected at 11 a.m., and again later in the afternoon.

The House of Representatives, meanwhile, won't be in session at all. Speaker Mike Johnson, a Republican, is keeping lawmakers in recess in order to pressure Democrats.

- Zach Schermele

Massive furloughs expected in federal government

About 750,000 federal employees ranging from workers at national parks to financial regulators could be furloughed each day under a shutdown, according to the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office, withholding about $400 million in daily compensation.

Other workers in government services that are considered “essential,” such as the military and law enforcement, will continue to work but won’t be paid until a deal is reached.

‒ Joey Garrison

Trump warns of government layoffs

Trump has also warned Democrats he may lay off federal workers under a shutdown. "We can do things during the shutdown that are irreversible, that are bad for them and irreversible by them ‒ cutting vast numbers of people out, cutting things they that they like, cutting programs that they like,” Trump said in the Oval Office, hours before the shutdown.

The president later said: “A lot of good can come down from shutdowns. We can get rid of a lot of things that we didn't want. They’d be Democrat things.”

The shutdown is the first since 2019, which came during Trump’s first term following Democratic objections over funding Trump’s border wall. It was also the longest shutdown in U.S. history at 35 days, costing the U.S. economy about $3 billion, according to the Congressional Budget Office.

‒ Joey Garrison

Democrats hold out for health-care demands

Democrats have demanded the reversal of Medicaid cuts that Republicans passed this year and the extension of health care subsidies be included in a funding measure.

“He doesn't understand that if the government shuts down, people's healthcare premiums will go up,” Democratic Senate Leader Chuck Schumer of New York said of Trump from the Senate Floor on Sept. 30.

Trump and Republicans have countered by accusing Democrats of wanting to provide health care for immigrants who are in the country illegally. “That’s what they’re insisting, and obviously, I have an obligation to not accept that,” Trump said. Democrats have called Trump’s claims a lie, noting that undocumented immigrants aren’t eligible for payments from Medicare, Medicaid, or the Affordable Care Act.

‒ Joey Garrison

Who will the public blame for the shutdown?

While Democrats and Republicans raced to blame the other side for the shutdown, it was still unclear who most Americans will blame.

Schumer seized on Trump’s threats about federal layoffs to argue the shutdown is Trump’s shutdown. “Well, there it is,” the Senate minority leader said. “Trump admitted himself that he is using Americans as political pawns. He is admitting that he is doing the firing of people, if God forbid it happens.

“Democrats do not want a shutdown,” Schumer added. “When he says he will do things, he is taking ownership.”

Yet Trump and Republicans are betting that a shutdown will inflict more political damage on Democrats, even though Republicans control the House, Senate and the White House. A New York Times/Sienna College poll found 65% of Americans believe Democrats should not shut down the government if their demands are not met, compared to 27% who said they should.

‒ Joey Garrison

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Government shutdown enters first day as Trump and Democrats spar, live updates

Reporting by Joey Garrison, Bart Jansen, Zac Anderson and Erin Mansfield, USA TODAY / USA TODAY

USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect