A partisan standoff over heath care and spending is threatening to trigger the first U.S. government shutdown in almost seven years, with Democrats and Republicans in Congress unable to find agreement even as thousands of federal workers stand to be furloughed or permanently laid off.

The U.S. government could shut down on Wednesday if Congress fails to approve funding for federal agencies. Here's how that could affect Social Security recipients.

The U.S. Congress has until Tuesday to pass legislation keeping the federal government open or trigger a partial shutdown.

As we inch toward another government shutdown, many are wondering how they might be impacted. Here's what to know.

Staying open: The VA's primary call center, its veterans crisis line, suicide prevention programs, homelessness services, and caregiver support. The federal government shutdown looming this week is not actually a complete shutdown.

Federal courts may be forced to quickly curtail operations -- potentially delaying trials and other hearings -- if congressional funding is not extended beyond Sept. 30, a spokesperson for the Administrative Office of U.S. Courts told ABC News.

The deadline to keep the government open is fast approaching. At midnight on Tuesday, the government will shut down unless a funding deal is reached — and the jobs of thousands of federal workers in the D.

Lawmakers must pass a funding bill by the end of September, or the government will shut down. Republicans and Democrats are at an impasse.

The government runs out of funding as the clock strikes midnight from Tuesday, Sept. 30 to Wednesday, Oct. 1. To avoid that shutdown, Congress must pass either a short-term funding bill, called a continuing resolution (or CR), or they must approve 12 separate full-year funding bills.

Federal jobs numbers will not be released if the government shuts down at midnight Wednesday, the U.S. Department of Labor said. It's a much-anticipated report.

Active-duty troops and National Guard members on missions will continue to work with the promise of back pay after Congress passes legislation to fund the government.