The United States Capitol was placed on lockdown Thursday afternoon following reports of shots fired in the vicinity of the chamber. At least one Capitol Police officer was injured.
The FBI was responding to the unconfirmed reports of shots, and a helicopter landed in front of the Capitol. A message from the Capitol Police ordered anyone in a House office to “shelter in place.”
“Close, lock and stay away from external doors and windows,” the message said.
The House recessed, and the Senate went into a quorum call — dispensing momentarily with its official business — shortly thereafter.
Source: NBC News – NBC News: U.S. Capitol placed on lockdown
The last time there was a partial shutdown of the federal government, there was a Democrat in the White House and Republicans controlled the House of Representatives. That’s where the similarities end.
As the government shutdown enters its third day, Democrats and Republicans seem no closer to bridging their differences than they were when the shutdown began early Tuesday morning. It’s difficult to say when the standoff will end. The two shutdowns that occurred in 1995 and 1996 lasted a total of 27 days. And back then, the conditions for getting to a deal were much better.
Republicans won the House and Senate in the 1994 midterm elections – the first time the party had a House majority in 40 years. That set up a showdown between House Speaker Newt Gingrich, who had run on a conservative platform, and then-President Bill Clinton. That dispute came in 1995, when Gingrich wanted to balance the budget in a short time frame and Clinton wanted money spent on Democratic priorities. After two separate shutdowns and several weeks, the pressure was too high on Republicans and they cut a deal with Clinton: he would get his priorities, but would have to balance the budget for 10 years.
Source: CBS News – CBS News: Why is it so difficult to end the government shutdown?
President Obama and leaders of both houses of Congress left a 90-minute meeting at the White House this evening no more closer to ending a government shutdown.
Neither side gave any indication that the talks, however cordial, moved them toward a compromise.
“They will not negotiate,” House Speaker John Boehner told reporters after leaving the West Wing. “We had a nice conversation, a light conversation, but at some point we’ve got to allow the process the Congress gave us to work out.”
Boehner insists that Democrats in the Senate send negotiators to a conference with House Republicans to work out the differences between the two sides on the budget.
Source: ABC News – ABC News: No Shutdown Deal in Sight After White House Meeting
Every week, hundreds of patients, including children with cancer, are admitted to new clinical trials through the National Institutes of Health.
But because of the government shutdown, newly registered patients are being put on hold until the government resumes operation.
“Due to the lapse in government funding… transactions submitted via the web site may not be processed, and the agency may not be able to respond to inquiries until appropriations are enacted,” a message on the top of the NIH website states.
Source: CNN – CNN: Government shutdown forces clinical trial patients to wait
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