It’s really a gimmick to boost attendance at minyanim in the Baltimore-Washington area. The politicians disagree with each (as is their right, and perhaps their duty), and by failing to pass a budget, most federal agencies have to shut down when their appropriations expire at midnight on Oct. 1. Most of the federal civil service gets off from work (probably without getting paid), and that means more time for shul. It’s all beshert.
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