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U.S. Shutdown Set to Begin at Midnight After Senate Bid Fails

With a 60-vote threshold in the Senate, Republicans need Democratic support that the opposition is tying to restoring health-care funding.

Overview

  • A last-ditch Senate vote to keep the government open failed Tuesday night, setting up a lapse in funding at the end of the fiscal year.
  • Republican leaders are pushing a seven-week stopgap through late November, while Democrats insist on restoring hundreds of billions for health programs, including Obamacare for low-income households.
  • The White House and OMB told agencies to prepare staff-reduction plans that could make some furloughs permanent, and President Trump warned of "irreversible" actions and mass firings during a shutdown.
  • The Congressional Budget Office estimates roughly 750,000 federal employees could be furloughed with about $400 million in immediate lost income, and officials warn of disruptions to air travel and benefit payments.
  • Despite Republican majorities, Senate rules require 60 votes to pass funding, leaving leaders short without at least seven Democratic senators.