Twitter users have rushed to the social media platform in order to comment on the second US government shutdown, with many commenting on the move by Republican Senator Rand Paul, who demanded a vote on an amendment to the spending bill that would keep caps on federal spending, which is expected to rise by a total of $300 billion over two years. The official said it is up to individual agencies how they would handle a shutdown, but even those affected by a potential lapse in appropriations would be able to come into work for up to four hours to conduct an orderly shutdown. Whether they work through a partial shutdown or not, federal workers can't get paid during a lapse in funding. According to its contingency plan, the Justice Department, with nearly 115,000 employees, has a "high percentage" of employees who would be able to keep working because they have national security, law enforcement and criminal justice system responsibilities relating to safety or protection of property.
The United States government runs out of funding for the second time this year, prompting another government shutdown.