The US government has officially begun the shut down.  An agreement could not be made by midnight last night on a funding bill. This means that many parts of the US government have not been funded for the next funding cycle.  Non-essential government employees will be furloughed as agencies wind down.  Currently the bill has been tabled, and soon leaders will again be considering ways of reopening the government.  Another vote will happen in the coming days.

Minutes before midnight, the funding deadline, the white house press secretary Sarah Sanders tweeted this message:

The senator in the middle of the front row with his hand covering his eyes in what would appear to be frustration, exhaustion, and sadness says a lot about what transpired:

There were a total of 50 votes, but a total of 60 votes were needed to pass the funding bill. Unfortunately, the Senate could not reach an agreement to re-fund the government.