Well, there you have it folks — as of midnight, we officially entered the first government shutdown in nearly seven years. I’m Mariah Thomas, here to take you through why this shutdown happened.

Republicans put forward a “clean” continuing resolution, suggesting maintaining current levels of government funding for the next seven weeks, so the Congress could get through the appropriations process. But that resolution requires 60 votes to pass — and Republicans only hold 53 seats in the Senate, which means some Democrats would have to vote to pass it.

Democrats have used that leverage as a bargaining chip to get Affordable Care Act (ACA) premium tax credits extended. Those tax credits have been in place since 2021, and reduce costs for ACA enrollees. They are set to expire at the year’s end, which would cause premiums for ACA insurance plans to rise sharply — more than 75% on average, according to the Kaiser Family Foundation. Over the next decade, 4 million Americans would become uninsured should those credits lapse. Democrats are asking Republicans to extend the credits as part of the continuing resolution. It’s a move Republicans have refused to support.

The horns are locked. Without a shift, the government has now launched into a shutdown, and both parties are pointing the finger at each other.

Democrats say Republicans are in control, which makes it their responsibility to strike a deal. In a statement, the Montana Democrats’ interim executive director, Justin Ailport, placed the blame squarely on Montana’s all-Republican federal delegation.

“Donald Trump, Senator (Steve) Daines, Senator (Tim) Sheehy, Congressman (Ryan) Zinke, and Congressman (Troy) Downing refused to negotiate and ensure that healthcare expenses don’t double for Montana families, who are already struggling under Donald Trump’s economy.”

And Republicans have adopted the posture that Democrats’ requests are unreasonable. Sen. Sheehy (pictured above) has branded the closure as a “Schumer shutdown” in several social media posts and statements, evoking the Senate minority leader as he seeks to place the blame for the shutdown there.

“Chuck Schumer and the Democrats put partisan games over the best interests of the American people and shut down the government,” Sheehy said. “Democrats are holding critical resources for our military, veterans, and hardworking Montana families hostage to appease their radical, far-left base. I was elected on a promise to restore common sense in our nation’s capital, and I’ll keep voting to stop the Schumer Shutdown and get back to work.”

But beyond the blame game, there are real people being impacted by the shutdown: government employees.

While government employees and services are typically affected by government shutdowns (go back and read Managing Editor Tristan Scott’s Monday newsletter for more on how shutdowns have affected Glacier National Park in the past), POLITICO reported this time around, the Office of Management and Budget has instructed federal agencies to identify “federal programs whose funding would lapse and which are otherwise unfunded.” The OMB has asked those agencies to carry out reductions in force, permanently eliminating jobs — an atypical move during a shutdown, but a move that marks one of the Trump administration’s latest attempts to reshape the federal government.

Concerns about the fate of government employees caused a contingent of Democrats to avoid a shutdown earlier this year, by signing onto a GOP spending bill in March. Since, Schumer has changed his perspective: he referred to Trump as “lawless,” and argued the Trump administration’s attacks on federal agencies are likely to continue regardless of a shutdown.

Republicans are singing a different tune. On Squawk Box, a CNBC news program, Montana Sen. Steve Daines (pictured above) said reductions in force “are not a bad thing.”

“It’s a hard thing, but it’s not a bad thing when you have spending that far exceeds revenues and we’ve got to find ways to continue to downsize the federal government,” Daines said. “… I’m confident that President Trump and Russ Vought at OMB will do the right thing and should look at reducing the size of the federal bureaucracy through reductions in force.”

Beyond reductions in force, the shutdown will have impacts. Mail will continue to be delivered, but national parks remain in limbo and other services will go on hold. Military personnel will be ordered to work without pay until lawmakers can agree on a funding bill.

Perhaps the top question plaguing politicians is when it will end. The answer? It’s uncertain.

“I hope it’s sooner than later,” Daines said this morning. “There’s no reason we should be in a shutdown. It costs taxpayers money. It disrupts government services. And at the end of the day, it doesn’t really deliver any political or policy objective.”

In Daines’ view, it remains contingent on Democrats to cross the aisle and negotiate. Senate Majority Leader John Thune is likely to continue calling for votes on the same continuing resolution in the coming days as he tries to shake more Democrats from voting with their party line. He needs five more to vote for the resolution. But for now, the horns remain locked — and it seems likely they’ll stay that way for a while.

Are you being impacted by the shutdown, or know somebody who is? Have thoughts, perspectives, opinions? Please, share them with us. We’re following along here at the Beacon, and this newsletter author would love to hear from you. You can drop me a line any time at [email protected]. Now, onto the rest of our Wednesday headlines.

Meet Libra! It’s her season, if you’re into the zodiac stuff — and this domestic shorthair mix is looking for a forever home.

To find out more about Libra and other pet adoption opportunities at the Humane Society of Northwest Montana go to: www.humanesocietypets.com. To donate to the Humane Society of Northwest Montana, visit the organization’s donation page here.