The government appears to be heading for a on Tuesday, as and each blame the other for the lack of a breakthrough on health care and spending.
A House measure that would extend funding for federal operations for seven weeks to allow lawmakers to finish their work on annual spending is at stake.
If it is not passed by the Senate before midnight (0400 Wednesday GMT), it would cause the first such shutdown in the US in almost seven years.
What is the standoff about?
The standoff comes as the Democrats, who hold a minority in both chambers of Congress, seek to use their little remaining leverage over the government.
According to Senate rules, government funding bills need to receive 60 votes to pass — seven more than the Republicans currently control in the 100-member chamber.
Democrats are calling for hundreds of billions of dollars in health care spending to be restored, particularly in the so-called Obamacare health insurance program for low-income households.
The Trump administration is planning to eliminate this through its passed in July.
The Democrats also oppose the by President and Republicans by using the so-called rescissions process, something they did in summer.
Meeting of Trump, Democrats fails to produce results
An urgent meeting on Monday at the White House between Trump and his Democratic opponents failed to bring an end to the disagreements, with Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer saying the two sides “have very large differences.”
“I think we’re headed to a shutdown,” Republican Vice President JD Vance said, accusing the Democrats of putting “a gun to the American people’s head” with their demands.
Although Democrats have long criticized shutdowns as destructive, voices in the party calling for stronger opposition to Trump are growing.
Schumer was condemned by some Democratic groups when he and nine other Democrats voted in March to break a filibuster and allow a Republican-led funding bill be put to a final vote.
What happens if a shutdown occurs?
A shutdown would see nonessential government operations suspended.
Hundreds of thousands of civil servants would also temporarily be left without pay, and the payment of some social safety-net benefits would be disrupted.
Federal agencies have drawn up contingency plans if funding is suspended.
Among other things, those plans specify what offices would stay open and which employees would be furloughed.
The White House itself has suggested that a shutdown could lead to large-scale layoffs across the government.
Government workers in the US have already suffered much pain at the hands of the so-called Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) led by billionaire , with
Edited by: Karl Sexton
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