As Americans consider the ominous specter of a government shutdown, here, below, is a list of Twitter accounts that will keep you informed.
But before we get to that, here's a bit of background on what exactly a "government shutdown" means, and how Washington's political gridlock reached this point.
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Like so much of modern American political theater, this predicament has its roots in the debate over Obamacare, U.S. President Barack Obama's law aiming to restructure the American healthcare system.
Against that backdrop, we have the U.S. government's standard fiscal year, which runs from Oct. 1 through Sept. 30. Among the most basic duties of Congress is passing spending bills to keep the government running for the next fiscal year. From the military to the National Zoo, these annual spending bills pay for a wide range of public services and government institutions.
The national budget is essentially being held hostage, as Republicans in Congress continue their drawn-out struggle with Democrats over Obamacare. The House of Representatives, which is controlled by Republicans, passed measures on Sunday that essentially includes hits on Obamacare to what they would consider a passable spending bill for the coming fiscal year. The Democrat-controlled Senate, meanwhile, insists such caveats are deal-breakers. So here we are.
If a final spending bill isn't agreed upon before Monday ends, the U.S. government will begin operating at skeleton capacity at 12:01 a.m. ET on Tuesday. Soldiers would still get paid, but national parks would be closed. More severe effects could be felt soon if the shutdown lingers for days or even weeks. (A new Twitter account called @WhatIsShutDown gained attention Monday for posting services that would be affected until being suspended by Twitter. Twitter did not immediately respond to a request for comment regarding why.)
We'll update this story when the government shut-down news is final, or if Congress can find agreement, and avoid a shutdown. Meanwhile, here are some Twitter accounts to follow for analysis and breaking developments:
This account run by Organizing for Action staff will post the latest news and spin from Obama's perspective.
From @thinkprogress: "49 Republicans Who Say Shutting Down The Government Over Obamacare Is A Big Mistake" http://t.co/e5Z7c34DeH
— Barack Obama (@BarackObama) October 1, 2013
The Speaker of the House is Obama's main political nemesis.
ObamaCare: Wrong in practice, wrong in theory http://t.co/tYLT1RTeT0 via @NRO
— John Boehner (@johnboehner) September 30, 2013
New York magazine's Washington reporter has spent all of Monday tweeting updates and analysis on the possible shutdown.
Great quote / @JohnJHarwood Rep Peter King to @DanaBashCNN on futile House maneuvering: "The situation has been somewhat lost control of."
— Jonathan Chait (@jonathanchait) October 1, 2013
Politico's deputy editor is a solid point of reference for links and insight from around the web.
My POLITICO colleagues are all over the government shutdown like white on rice http://t.co/JYH5L82cqY
— Blake Hounshell (@blakehounshell) October 1, 2013
Tweets directly from the Obama administration, and sometimes the president himself.
It's time for Congress to do the right thing for our country and pass a budget that prevents a #governmentshutdown. —bo
— The White House (@WhiteHouse) October 1, 2013
NBC's politics wonk is a tweeting machine.
Sometime around 10p, House will officially have the spending bill back in their lap with two hours to go before shutdown.
— Chuck Todd (@chucktodd) October 1, 2013
Dan Roberts is The Guardian's Washington bureau chief, and an excellent source for up-to-the-minute analysis.
Government shutdown: what's really going on – and who's to blame? http://t.co/KnjXZYEOQY
— Dan Roberts (@RobertsDan) September 30, 2013
Please add your own Twitter follow suggestions in the comments, below.
Image: Saul Loeb/AFP/Getty Images