The US Capitol in Washington is seen on September 30, 2013 , a day before the government shutdown began.
- “Politicians cheered party solidarity Tuesday, while acknowledging the damage they are causing by their inability to reach agreement. ”Democratic unity is as strong as ever,” boasted Sen. Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) on the Senate floor Tuesday afternoon. “And that is a great thing, because it means that there’s hope. The bad news about today is, of course, that many innocent people were hurt.” [TIME]
- “A harsh reality began setting into Capitol Hill on Tuesday: The U.S. government may not reopen until the two parties reach a deal to raise the national debt ceiling.” [Politico]
- President Obama’s upcoming trip to Malaysia and the Philippines has been postponed in the wake of the government shutdown. The White House says the President will still be traveling to the APEC conference in Indonesia. [NYT]
- “On the day the Affordable Care Act takes effect, the U.S. government is shut down, and it may be permanently broken. You’ll read lots of explanations for the dysfunction, but the simple truth is this: It’s the culmination of 50 years of evolving yet consistent Republican strategy to depict government as the enemy, an oppressor that works primarily as the protector of and provider for African-Americans, to the detriment of everyone else. The fact that everything came apart under our first African-American president wasn’t an accident, it was probably inevitable.” [Salon]
- Millions visited healthcare.gov on opening day of the Obamacare insurance exchanges, causing many sites to crash. It is unclear, however, how many people actually purchased insurance on Tuesday. [TIME]
- As the Obama Administration courts business leaders for support around his call for Congress to raise the debt-ceiling without attaching other policy changes to it, business leaders and lobbyists are skeptical. [The Hill]
- Boehner: “The president isn’t telling the whole story when it comes to the government shutdown. The fact is that Washington Democrats have slammed the door on reopening the government by refusing to engage in bipartisan talks. And, as stories across the country highlight the devastating impact of Obamacare on families and small businesses, they continue to reject our calls for fairness for all Americans.” [USA Today]
- Donna Brazile writes on CNN.com, “But who are the people using food stamps? They’re us.” [CNN]
- WWII Vets say feds should be ashamed for closing their memorial during the shutdown. [TIME]