Day 1: Why is the government shut down?

It is day one of the government shut down. As I went to write this post, I had to do some a lot of research and the more I uncovered, the less I understood. 

But this pretty much sums it up:

Thousands of articles about the shutdown are being written today, including opinion pieces and political analyses, but all the explanations I found made me want to lie down and take a nap.They also failed to break down this hot mess into basic concepts. So that's what I'm doing.

(*cracks knuckles*) 
Let’s begin.

The simple answer: First, it isn't a complete shutdown, 'just' a partial one. Some government agencies will still be functioning. However, since Congress can not come to an agreement about the budget, (ex. the spending bill  did not get passed) the government is simply not being funded. (*end scene*)

The government's fiscal year runs from October 1 to September 30, and each year they HAVE TO pass a spending bill before October 1. (The spending bill basically dictates where all of the government $ is going to go.) However, time ran out last night, for both sides to come to an agreement. You might be thinking to yourself, “Why can’t they pass a bill so that the government can function?” and "Shouldn't they HAVE to pass a budget?"

To that I answer, "Ah, yes. Exactly."

I imagine our current Congress functioning like a toxic marriage between two people trying to run a household. They live in the same house for the sake of the kids, and have different parenting strategies, and goals for the future but can’t stop fighting, and frankly no one is happy about it. Thus, mass chaos occurs on important decision making. Nothing really gets accomplished.

It needs some serious marriage counseling.

But Why is the shutdown happening, you ask? 
Ok, ok. Without getting all partisan, among other things,  the big disagreement rests on the fact that House Republicans insist that the new spending bill include provisions to de-fund the Affordable Care Act (AKA Obamacare), or they won’t let it pass. 

To get a bit more specific, Brad Plumer from the Washington Post  adds,

• "Each year, the House and Senate are supposed to agree on 12 appropriations bills to fund the federal agencies and set spending priorities. Congress has become really bad at passing these bills, so in recent years they've resorted to stopgap budgets to keep the government funded (known as "continuing resolutions"). The last stopgap passed on March 28, 2013, and ends on Sept. 30.
• In theory, Congress could pass another stopgap before Tuesday. But the Democratic-controlled Senate and Republican-controlled House are at odds over what that stopgap should look like. The House passed a funding bill over the weekend that delayed Obamacare for one year and repealed a tax on medical devices. The Senate rejected that measure. They voted a few more times and still no agreement. So... we're getting a shutdown."

However, (and this is where it gets really good) even with a government shutdown, the exchanges are still open.  People are still signing up for healthcare. The affordable care act (which is now the law) isn’t even part of the deal that can be negotiated for the budget to pass. It is simply a bargaining chip. 

So this whole thing is really nonsensical and a large waste of money? 

Yes, yes it is. 
I think you understand now.

Practical stuff:

So How does this affect people? 
Here is a list of things that are shut down. And Here is a detailed 'by the numbers chart' for the full scope.  But really, it most affects the poor and vulnerable. Certain programs are being cut and families will not be able to put food on the table. A compelling letter to Washington officials written by faith leaders can be found here. 

So what can we do about it?
That's a really great question. Please ask your member of Congress to work to end the shut down here.