With no budget agreement being reached in the Senate, the US federal government has been shut down since October 1. Over 600,000 federal workers have been furloughed, and some could have back pay withheld.

U.S. lawmakers again failed to pass a series of funding bills needed to reopen the federal government as both sides point fingers at one another over blame.

The IRS furloughed more than 35,000 employees, nearly half of its staff, as both Republicans and Democrats fail to resolve the budget impasse.