Government shutdown: 800,000 workers go without pay, and it doesn't stop there

Washington (CNN) -- The game of chicken failed. Neither side blinked. Now millions will pay the price.

Americans watched a colossal failure by Congress overnight -- and the shutdown of their government.

For weeks, the House and the Senate blamed and bickered, each claiming they're standing up for what the public wants.

In the end, it led to the one outcome nobody wanted -- one that will stop 800,000 Americans from getting paid and could cost the economy about $1 billion a week.

"Agencies should now execute plans for an orderly shutdown due to the absence of appropriations," the Office of Management & Budget said in a note it sent to federal employees.

This is the first time the government has shut down in nearly 18 years. The last time it did, the stalemate lasted 21 days.

Read More : http://edition.cnn.com/2013/10/01/politics/government-shutdown/