On Tuesday, the Federal government began shutting down its non-essential services for the first time in 17 years after Congress was unable to pass a Continuing Resolution to fund the government beyond Sept. 30. The shutdown is a result of a partisan disagreement over the Affordable Care Act of 2010, also known as Obamacare, which began open enrollment on Oct. 1.
Some immediate effects of the shutdown include: the closure of all national parks, museums, and monuments; decreased funding for programs that support and help feed needy families, including the WIC (Women, Infants and Children) program; and the indefinite furlough of hundreds of thousands of federal workers.