HELENA — As Congress again failed to reach agreement on a budget deal Tuesday, it appears the federal government is headed for a shutdown. Without a budget agreement by 12:01 a.m., Oct 1 – 10:01 p.m., Sept. 30, Mountain Time – there won’t be money appropriated for a huge range of federal programs.

For most Americans, federal government shutdowns aren’t unfamiliar anymore. There have been three since 2000: for 16 days in October 2013, two days in January 2018 and 35 days in December 2018 and January 2019. The last was the longest shutdown in U.S. history, though it only applied to some agencies.

(Watch the video for more on how some of the federal agencies you interact with could be affected by a shutdown.) Potential impacts of federal shutdown on Montana

How a shutdown plays out in p

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