What does the government shutdown mean?

It’s official, the federal government has shut down. So, why did this happen and what does this mean?

To sum it up, the federal government couldn’t agree on a budget and was forced to close its doors due to lack of funding. Here’s what has the most immediate impact:

Open for business:

• Obamacare Exchanges
• Social Security (New applications may be delayed.)
• Postal Service
• Transportation Security Administration
• Border Security
• Federal Reserve
• Meat and Poultry Inspection
• Prisons (however guard pay may be delayed)
• Military
• Air travel

Closed:

Around 800,000 government employees will not be asked to report to work and will not be compensated for the down time.

• Federal Courts (Although initially open, Federal Courts will close eventually without an approved budget.)
• Internal Revenue Service
• National Parks and National Forests
• Mine Safety and Health Administration
• Passports
• Financial Regulation
• Energy Data
• The Smithsonian Museum
• The National Zoo

Additionally, government contractors may also be affected.