The post you are reporting:
Courtesy of the Times - strange system they have in the US that allows this to happen.
Last ditch efforts to prevent a US government shutdown proved fruitless as late night as negotiations failed to find the 60 senate votes needed to pass a new spending bill. The Senate’s rejection of the bill means many non-essential government workers will be told to stay home until a funding deal can be worked out. Opponents of the budget said it failed to balance spending and would be only a prelude to further negotiations as the next deadline approached on February 16. Chuck Schumer, the Senate Democrat leader, visited the White House yesterday for a last-ditch attempt to avert a the shutdown — an unprecedented event with a Republican president and Republican-controlled Congress.
On Thursday the House of Representatives had passed a bill that would temporarily fund the government for a month, but Senate Democrats and some of those on the Republican side threatened yesterday to block it. Mick Mulvaney, the budget director, insisted that the president was “actively working right now to prevent a shutdown”, and had been feverishly calling politicians throughout the day in search of a deal. A White House official said that Mr Trump would not leave Washington until a temporary budget was passed.
The Senate only managed 50 of the required 60 votes to pass the bill; Republicans hold 51 seats. At least three Republican senators — Lindsey Graham of South Carolina, Jeff Flake of Arizona and Rand Paul of Kentucky — had said they would not back it. The House will be adjourned over the weekend and is not expected to meet again until January 29 unless an emergency session is called.
The last US shutdown happened in 2013 and lasted for 16 days. Essential services, including national security, post, air traffic control, inpatient medical services, emergency outpatient medicine, disaster assistance, prisons, taxation and electricity production will continue to operate.
