An impasse over federal spending has shut much of the national government since Oct. 1 and shows no signs of ending soon. The political dispute has suspended paychecks for hundreds of thousands of federal workers and shut museums, national parks and other government sites across the country. It stems from opposition by some Republicans to new health care reforms, sometimes called "Obamacare," that took effect last week.

When Republicans in the House wrote language to delay or not pay for the Affordable Care Act and attached it to a spending measure, it stalled that legislation and forced the headline-making shutdown. Obama and congressional Democratic leaders say that if they try to reach a compromise, it would set a precedent (example) that a party controlling just one chamber of Congress could hold the country hostage for political reasons, in effect.

"The longer this goes on, the worse it will be," President Obama said over the weekend. An NBC News video below looks at the impact on families. Even NASA's next mission to Mars, due to launch in November, is in danger of being delayed. The president and Democrats say they'll consider broader budget talks when the House -- led by Speaker John Boehner, an Ohio Republican – votes to fund government operations and end the shutdown.

President says: "I'm happy to have negotiations, but we can't do it with a gun held to the head of the American people." – Oct. 4

Republican says: "Democrats want government by crisis." – Sen. Ted Cruz of Texas

Columnist says: "This shutdown is not about the budget. It's about . . . the Tea Party's obsession with repealing Obamacare." – Charles Blow, The New York Times, Oct. 6