The U.S. government shut down much of its operations on Wednesday as deep partisan divisions prevented Congress and the White House from reaching a funding deal, setting off what could be a long, grueling standoff that could lead to the loss of thousands of federal jobs.

The first government shutdown in nearly seven years began at midnight after lawmakers failed to reach a deal on extending funding.

As a result, a number of parks sustained serious damage, including the ripping up of trails by motorized vehicles and the chopping down of Joshua trees in California. At Big Bend, prehistoric petroglyphs were vandalized and irreparably damaged, according to the non-profit National Parks Conservation Association.

The U.S. government is under its first federal government shutdown in almost seven years as Senate Democrats have voted down a Republican bill to keep funding the government.

Both Republican and Democratic proposals that would have funded the government past Tuesday failed in the Senate, before the 12:01 a.m. Wednesday.

“Virginians did not vote for this. Senator Mark Warner, Tim Kaine, and their sidekick, Abigail Spanberger, supported a government shutdown. They chose politics over people and left families wondering how they’ll pay their bills. At a time when Virginians need leadership, they chose to play games.”

Marguerite Ro, state director of AARP, highlighted the anxiety among members regarding Social Security and Medicare.

Government funding is set to lapse overnight, and the White House and Congress are jockeying for political advantage.