Westchester Dealing With First Government Shutdown In 17 Years

WESTCHESTER COUNTY, N.Y. - Westchester residents must now deal with a federal government shutdown and its ramifications for the first time in 17 years starting Tuesday morning after Congress failed to agree on a spending plan.

The Republican-controlled House of Representatives passed a spending bill that denies funding for the Affordable Care Act, also known as Obamacare, which will start Tuesday. Oct. 1 also marks the first day of the Fiscal Year, which lasts through Sept. 30, 2014.

The Democratic-controlled Senate then voted to kill that House legislation last night, creating the impasse that has led to the shutdown.

Since 1977, there have been 18 government shutdowns. None lasted more than three days.

While much is unknown about the latest, including how long it will last and its economic effects, one thing is certain. Millions of Americans, and thousands of Westchester residents, will be missing services.

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