The federal government began to halt nonessential operations overnight after the Senate blocked a stopgap spending bill intended to carry funding through Nov. 21. Lawmakers traded blame on the Capitol steps as federal agencies prepared for furloughs, customer-service interruptions and paused contract work, while essential national security and public-safety functions continued without interruption.

Senate Democrats refused to back the measure, arguing that it did not resolve the deeper disputes roiling Congress over border policy, military assistance to allies and the level of discretionary spending. Republican leaders countered that Democrats were unwilling to negotiate on priorities they say are urgent. The impasse meant that hundreds of thousands of civilian federal employees — and contractors who rely on government work — faced immediate uncertainty over pay and schedules.

A White House official, speaking on background, called the shutdown “preventable” and urged Congress to pass clean, short-term funding to reopen government services. On the Senate floor, aides and staff hurried to finalize contingency plans as federal agencies scrambled to identify workers deemed essential. Federal courts, the military, air traffic control and certain public health operations will remain operational, but many administrative services — passport processing, national park management, and some federal research programs — will slow or stop.

The economic ripple effects were likely to be felt beyond Washington. Local tourist economies that depend on national parks and museums may see sudden revenue shortfalls; small businesses that contract with federal departments face payment delays; and longer-term federal projects could be delayed, increasing costs. Economists have typically warned that even short shutdowns shave growth, slow government lending programs and dent consumer confidence, though the precise toll depends on the duration.

Internationally, allies and partners watched with concern. Diplomats said routine consular and visa services can be affected by a shutdown, potentially complicating travel and business for foreign nationals and Americans abroad. Security cooperation that depends on administrative approvals and new contracting can also be slowed, prompting anxious questions in capitals that rely on timely U.S. support. “Allies want to see Washington able to govern and deliver on commitments,” one foreign diplomat said. “A domestic stalemate can have immediate operational consequences overseas.”

The political calculus in Congress remains fraught. House leaders who had earlier passed their own versions of spending bills face pressure to reconcile competing demands in the Senate, where a supermajority is often required to move short-term measures. Negotiators will have to bridge differences on immigration enforcement, funding levels and policy riders that some members insist upon.

If lawmakers fail to reach agreement in the coming days, the shutdown could deepen and force difficult choices about which services to restore first and which employees to pay retroactively once funding returns. For now, the shutdown is a stark reminder that procedural brinkmanship in Washington can produce immediate, tangible disruptions for ordinary Americans and complicate the United States’ ability to project steady leadership abroad.