As the U.S. government shutdown stretches into another day, New Yorkers are voicing frustration over the political gridlock in Washington and its growing impact on daily life. The U.S. federal government officially shut down early Wednesday after lawmakers failed to reach an agreement on a funding bill, the latest casualty of partisan deadlock in Washington. The shutdown has forced hundreds of thousands of federal employees to work without pay or take unpaid leave, while many government services face disruptions. Efforts are underway in the Capitol to reopen the government, but the outlook remains uncertain as Republicans and Democrats continue to trade blame over who is responsible for the impasse. Russell Vought, the White House budget director, said Wednesday that the administration of U.S. President Donald Trump will start a mass firing of federal workers in the next "one to two" days. U.S. Vice President JD Vance confirmed that firings would come soon if the government does not reopen. Shotlist: New York City, USA - Oct 1-2, 2025: FILE: Washington D.C., USA - October 2024 1. Various of Capitol Hill, U.S. national flag; New York City, USA - Oct 1-2, 2025 2. SOUNDBITE (English) Becky Adams, accountant: "It takes two to shut down the government, right? And I understand both the Republican side and the Democratic side, right, so each side wants something, and each side is not budging. So we're at a standstill. And as a result, we, the American people, end up suffering for it. So it's not a win-win for anyone at all."; FILE: Washington D.C., USA - October 2024 3. Various of Capitol Hill, traffic; New York City, USA - Oct 1-2, 2025 4. SOUNDBITE (English) Miles Brown, teacher (starting with shot 3): "There's a world in which we live in that has a lot going on that's wrong. Without getting too deep into it, I just think that a lot of things are sensationalizing. I don't think that the government really represents where American people are at."; 5. SOUNDBITE (English) Kathleen, retiree (full name not given): "They do it all the time and they should manage the whole thing. They're all awful. ++JUMP CUT++ They always seem to figure it out at the end, so figure it out from the beginning. It's annoying."; 6. SOUNDBITE (English) Becky Adams, accountant: "I'm fortunate that I don't work for the government. So I'm fortunate in that where it doesn't dramatically impact me."; 7. SOUNDBITE (English) Miles Brown, teacher (ending with shot 8): "Not necessarily me, but I do know people who are directly affected by the government shutdown, and it's harmful. They make decisions based off of their own personal interests, not really the interests of the people. And so because of that, you have to deal with the repercussions and it's kind of a difficult situation."; FILE: Washington D.C., USA - May 12, 2020 8. Various of White House; FILE: Washington D.C., USA - Date Unknown 9. White House; New York City, USA - Oct 1-2, 2025 10. SOUNDBITE (English) Kathleen, retiree (full name not given): "It's always the government. I wish they would budget their money the way they budget their own money and how they take everybody else's money, but they don't budget it."; FILE: Washington D.C., USA - October 2024 11. Various of U.S. national flags. [Restriction - No access Chinese mainland]