Washington-The United States federal government has entered its first shutdown in nearly seven years after lawmakers in the Senate failed to reach an agreement on a spending bill.

The deadline to approve funding passed on Wednesday, with both Republicans and Democrats rejecting each other’s proposals in back-to-back votes.

Democrats refused to support the Republican plan, pressing instead for the extension of Affordable Care Act subsidies set to expire at the end of the year and the reversal of Medicaid cuts. Republicans labeled their bill a “clean” funding measure, while Democrats argued it would jeopardize healthcare access for millions of Americans.

The standoff has led to a blame game. Senate Republican leader John Thune accused Democrats of staging a confrontation with the president, while Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer charged Republicans with “risking America’s healthcare” and failing to negotiate responsibly.

The White House also directed blame at Democrats, with its official website displaying a countdown clock titled “Democrats Have Shut Down the Government.”

The Senate is scheduled to hold another vote on the Republican proposal Wednesday morning. GOP leaders have pledged to reintroduce the bill daily until Democrats agree.

As a result of the shutdown, federal agencies will scale back operations and many government employees will be placed on temporary leave. The last US government shutdown began on December 22, 2018, and lasted 35 days, the longest in American history.