The White House announced that mass furloughs of U.S. federal workers would start within two days amid the government shutdown that began on Oct. 1, triggered by the failure of Democrats and Republicans to agree on a new spending bill, the BBC reported.
The vote to end the shutdown also failed, hours after it began.
The point of disruption is healthcare funding. Democrats are seeking assurances on healthcare funding before agreeing to a spending deal, whereas Republicans prefer a temporary stopgap to keep the government running at current funding levels until mid-November.
Analysts, cited by the media outlet, say the shutdown could be worse than in 2018. They predict that about 750,000 federal workers may be furloughed. Some furloughs began on Oct. 1. The administration has not ruled out permanent layoffs.
A new vote on the Republican-proposed short-term funding bill is scheduled for Oct. 3.
