The US government closed its doors as White House budget director ordered federal agencies to begin closing down late Monday after Congress failed to pass a budget to avert a government shutdown

The US government closed its doors as White House budget director ordered federal agencies to begin closing down late Monday after Congress failed to pass a budget to avert a government shutdown.

Hundreds of thousands of federal workers have been idle and all but the most critical government services have been halted for the first time in nearly two decades.

A midnight deadline to avert a shutdown passed amid congressional bickering, casting doubt on Americans' ability to get government services ranging from federally-backed home loans to supplemental food assistance for children and pregnant women.

"Agencies should now execute plans for an orderly shutdown due to the absence of appropriations," said Sylvia Mathews Burwell, director Of the White House Office of Management and Budget in a memo.
  
The order was issued 10 minutes before the US government officially ran out of money after a day of angry brinkmanship between the Republican-controlled House of Representatives and the Senate, where Democrats have the majority.
  
Burwell urged Congress to pass a temporary operating budget as soon as possible to allow departments to reopen. "We urge Congress to act quickly to pass a Continuing Resolution to provide a short-term bridge that ensures sufficient time to pass a budget for the remainder of the fiscal year, and to restore the operation of critical public services and programs that will be impacted by a lapse in appropriations."