WASHINGTON IS BRACING FOR WHAT COULD BE A PROLONGED FEDERAL SHUTDOWN AFTER LAWMAKERS DEADLOCKED AND MISSED THE DEADLINE FOR FUNDING THE GOVERNMENT.

SO, WHAT HAPPENS NOW?

EACH FEDERAL AGENCY DEVELOPS ITS OWN SHUTDOWN PLAN -- INCLUDING WHICH WORKERS STAY ON THE JOB AND WHICH WOULD BE FURLOUGHED.

THE CONGRESSIONAL BUDGET OFFICE ESTIMATES ROUGHLY 750,000 FEDERAL EMPLOYEES COULD BE FURLOUGHED EACH DAY OF THE SHUTDOWN, WITH THE TOTAL DAILY COST OF THEIR COMPENSATION AT ROUGHLY $400 MILLION.

BUT A GREAT DEAL OF GOVERNMENT WORK CONTINUES.

FBI INVESTIGATORS, CIA OFFICERS, AIR TRAFFIC CONTROLLERS AND AGENTS OPERATING AIRPORT CHECKPOINTS KEEP WORKING. SO DO MEMBERS OF THE ARMED FORCES.

PROGRAMS THAT RELY ON MANDATORY SPENDING GENERALLY CONTINUE.

SOCIAL SECURITY PAYMENTS GO OUT AND SENIORS RELYING ON MEDICARE COVERAGE CAN STILL SEE THEIR DOCTORS.

REPUBLICAN LEADERS HAVE BRANDED IT “THE DEMOCRATS SHUTDOWN.” SOME U.S. GOVERNMENT DEPARTMENT WEBSITES BLAME “THE RADICAL LEFT”

FOR DEMOCRATS, THE SHUTDOWN FIGHT MARKS A LINE IN THE SAND AFTER MONTHS OF FRUSTRATION WITH THEIR INABILITY TO STOP TRUMP’S LEADERSHIP.