15 Captivating Photos of the Government Shutdown

What's This?

By Fran Berkman2013-10-01 22:10:57 UTC

For the first time in nearly two decades we got to see what it looks like when the United States government shuts down.

Since Congress couldn't strike a funding deal before the midnight deadline, the first government shutdown since 1995 began Tuesday. As a result, all national parks and monuments are closed and about 800,000 federal employees were sent home without pay.

See also: Google Doodle Honors Yosemite Park, But It's Closed in Government Shutdown

Negotiations came to a halt when the Republican-controlled House of Representatives insisted on defunding or delaying the Affordable Care Act, better known as "Obamacare," as part of the spending bill. Meanwhile, Senate Democrats rejected any attempt to alter the new health care law.

Even in just one day, the shutdown has already produced a number of images that look like they belong in a Woody Guthrie song. Here's a sample of photos of the shutdown from California to the New York island.

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Image: Jim Watson/AFP/Getty Images

Topics: government, Government Shutdown, photography, Politics, U.S., US & World