The US government is officially closed, as the budget office orders an orderly shutdown.

The whining, in some cases taxpayer funded, has begun immediately:

One of the first casualties of the shutdown was the twitter account for the US Capitol.

“Due to a lapse in government funding, this account will not be active until further notice,” it posted.

Earlier it had warned that the Capitol’s visitors’ centre would be closed if the shutdown went ahead, and all tours would be suspended.

Shortly after midnight, President Obama tweeted: “They actually did it. A group of Republicans in the House just forced a government shutdown over Obamacare instead of passing a real budget.”

Lordy. The visitors center. I see the BBC are really trying hard to get with the Democratic narrative.

Meanwhile, reports from New York indicate the world has not, in fact, ended although Beckenham is feeling a little warmer than usual for the time of year.

Image via “dawnhop“.