US government shuts down after Senate fails to pass last-ditch funding plan

Air travel and federal workers

• Commenters expect air travel to continue but with stressed, unpaid “essential” staff (TSA, air traffic control) and likely delays.
• Several posts detail how federal pay cycles work: first missed/shortened checks would be weeks away; back pay is now guaranteed by law, and some banks offer 0% shutdown loans.
• Others push back that this ignores the human cost, especially for those living paycheck to paycheck and for contractors, who usually do not get back pay.

Who is to blame and how the process works

• Debate centers on Republicans controlling the House, Senate, and White House vs. the 60‑vote rule in the Senate.
• One side argues the majority party effectively owns the result and could scrap the filibuster if it wanted.
• Others argue the minority can and does block budgets, so shutdown blame is routinely shifted to whichever party is in the minority.
• Some note multiple Republicans didn’t show up or voted against the continuing resolution, undermining “Democrats shut it down” claims.

Partisan messaging and legality

• HUD and the White House site displaying “Democrats shut down the government” banners and mass emails blaming Democrats are described as clear Hatch Act violations (using government resources for partisan messaging).
• Several commenters doubt these will be enforced, suggesting any enforcement would itself be spun as “political persecution.”

Epstein files and blocked swearing-in

• A side thread alleges a new Arizona member with a potential tie‑breaking vote on releasing Epstein-related documents is being blocked from being sworn in.
• Commenters disagree on whether releasing the files would meaningfully change politics; some see Republican resistance as fear of exposure, others think it’s about avoiding looking like they “lost” to Democrats.

Consequences for workers and services

• Former federal employees describe earlier shutdowns as disruptive but “semi‑routine,” with retroactive pay almost always passed.
• Others emphasize this time is different: talk of using the shutdown to permanently fire employees, and welfare recipients missing benefits even if payments are later restored.
• Contractors are repeatedly identified as the worst hit: effectively unemployed with no guaranteed back pay.

Shutdowns as symptom of deeper failure

• Several note shutdowns have become more frequent and longer since the 1980s, especially under recent Republican leadership.
• A recurring argument: the executive already ignores appropriations it dislikes, so Democratic compromise is pointless if agreed‑to programs won’t be implemented.
• Some frame shutdowns as a sign of governmental or even state failure; others caution they’re structurally baked into the U.S. system, unlike parliamentary no‑confidence mechanisms.

Media, polarization, and third parties

• Many see right‑leaning media as driving a fact‑indifferent narrative where Democrats are always to blame; center/left media are portrayed as weaker at message discipline.
• Discussion touches on why third parties don’t emerge under first‑past‑the‑post and how game theory plus mass‑media dynamics lock in the two‑party cycle of mutual demonization.