The US government has begun a federal shutdown after the Senate failed to agree on a new budget. Despite last minute bipartisan meetings, the bill to fund the government until 16 February did not receive the required 60 votes in the Senate. The House of Representatives voted 230-197 on Thursday night to extend funding until next month, but the measure failed to pass the Senate. <br/><br/>However, essential services like national security, post, air traffic control, inpatient medical services, emergency outpatient medicine, disaster assistance, prisons, taxation and electricity production will continue. President Donald Trump blamed the Democrats for the shutdown which comes exactly a year after he was sworn in as the 45th President of the United States. <br/><br/>In a statement White House press secretary Sarah Sanders said Democrats put politics above national security, military families, vulnerable children, and our country's ability to serve all Americans. She said the Administration will not negotiate the status of unlawful immigrants while Democrats hold the lawful citizens hostage over their reckless demands. Democratic leaders demanded that the measure include protections from deportation for about 700,000 undocumented immigrants known as Dreamers who arrived in the United States as children. <br/><br/>The effect of the shutdown would be felt most from Monday when the federal government employees would not be able to join for their work and be forced to stay at home without pay. The last US shutdown happened in 2013 over health care policy lasted for 16 days.