The federal government remains closed amid a bitter impasse on Capitol Hill over competing congressional spending bills.
President Donald Trump and Republicans have cast blame for the shutdown on Democrats' health care demands, while Democrats insist Republicans need to negotiate.
The Trump administration has threatened mass layoffs of some federal workers during the shutdown.
Vance joins Leavitt for White House press briefing
White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt was joined by Vice President JD Vance in a press briefing on Wednesday. Leavitt spoke about the government shutdown that took part on Wednesday at 12:01 a.m., saying "pure partisan politics" caused the shutdown.
"So the American people woke up this morning and asked the obvious question, why is the government shutdown right now? The answer is pure partisan politics being played by the Democrat party," Leavitt said.
A sign indicating that the U.S. Capitol Visitor Center is closed due to the government shutdown, October 1, 2025 in Washington.
Al Drago/Getty Images
Oct 01, 2025, 12:58 PM EDT
Government websites displaying messages blaming Democrats for shutdown
Official government websites are starting to display messages on their homepage blaming Democrats for the government shutdown.
A view of a podium ahead of a press conference with U.S. Senate Majority Leader John Thune and Speaker of the House Mike Johnson on the first day of a partial government shutdown, at the U.S. Capitol, in Washington, October 1, 2025.
Nathan Howard/Reuters
"Due to the Democrat-led shutdown, website updates will be limited until full operations resume," the State Department's website reads.
The Department of Housing and Urban Development states on its website that the "Radical Left in Congress shut down the government."
"President Trump has made it clear he wants to keep the government open and support those who feed, fuel, and clothe the American people," the statement on the Department of Agriculture's website reads.
-ABC News' Justin Gomez
Oct 01, 2025, 12:33 PM EDT
Senate once again fails to advance GOP stopgap funding bill, shutdown continues
Democrats continued to hold the line during Wednesday's vote, once again blocking a seven-week extension of government funding from advancing across the Senate floor.
A sign indicating that the U.S. Capitol Visitor Center is closed due to the government shutdown, October 1, 2025 in Washington.
Al Drago/Getty Images
The bill would've needed 60 votes to advance. It failed by a vote of 55-45.
Democrats doubled down on their demands that health care issues be addressed.
The Senate is not expected to hold any additional votes on government funding until Friday at the earliest, all but assuring this shutdown stretches on at least until Friday.
-ABC News' Allison Pecorin
Oct 01, 2025, 12:14 PM EDT
Amid shutdown, DOJ lawyers ask to stay, flood insurance funding could run dry
In at least one case, Justice Department lawyers have asked for a judge to issue a stay while they wait for the government to be fully funded.
A closed sign stands in front of the National Archives on the first day of a government shutdown, Oct. 1, 2025, in Washington.
Julia Demaree Nikhinson/AP
The "lapse in appropriations" has "eliminated the ability of counsel" who worked on a particular case to "handle the litigation and to file the Defandants' motion papers while the lapse in appropriations continues," Assistant U.S. Attorney Lauren Zurier writes.
Attorneys are requesting that the Court allows for them to stay "until the restoration of funding to DOJ and Defendants" in this particular case -- which involves cutting funding for certain organizations by the Administration for their support for DEI issues.
Additionally, money from the National Flood Insurances Program could run dry if the government shutdown is prolonged, according to a letter sent to Congress by the National Association of Relators.
A lapse would mean that Americans can't renew or purchase new flood water insurance and must rely on limited disaster aid, according to Kevin Sears, the president of NAR.
