Key facts
- US government faces potential shutdown as Congress struggles to pass a spending bill.
- A shutdown would halt non-essential federal services and furlough hundreds of thousands of workers.
- Negotiations are ongoing between the House and Senate.
- The deadline for passing the bill is midnight.
The United States government is facing a potential shutdown as lawmakers in Congress are in a race against time to pass a crucial spending bill before a midnight deadline. Failure to reach an agreement would result in the cessation of non-essential federal services and the furlough of hundreds of thousands of government workers.
Negotiations between the House of Representatives and the Senate have been ongoing, with both chambers working to find a compromise on the funding legislation. The outcome of these discussions will determine whether the government continues to operate or enters a shutdown.
Historically, government shutdowns can have a wide-ranging impact, affecting everything from national parks to federal agency operations, and can create uncertainty in financial markets.