US government shutdown: The US government is inching closer towards an impending shutdown as Democrats and Republicans failed to agree on a key bill that would keep the operations running.
A last-minute resolution seems to be a distant dream as Democrats and Republicans have shown no intention of bridging their divides. Any agreement between the parties would also have to be approved by the House of Representatives led by Republicans, which is not in session at the present.
Here are the latest updates of what’s happening.
US government shutdown: Top 10 latest updates
1. A vote to extend funding past a midnight deadline failed in the Senate, with the US government inching towards a shutdown, amid almost no hope of a resolution. Senate Democrats voted down a Republican bill to keep funding the government.
2. A US government shutdown at 12:01 am on Wednesday was imminent as the Senate got adjourned without the approval of the key bill. Any agreement also would have to be approved by the Republican-controlled House of Representatives, which is not in session.
3. After a shutdown, US government agencies will have to discontinue everything but essential activities such as law enforcement, which comes in a few hours.
4. Donald Trump has added fuel to the fire. Ahead of Tuesday’s vote, he threatened to cancel programs favored by Democrats and fire more federal workers if the government shuts down. “We’ll be laying off a lot of people,” he told reporters. “They’re going to be Democrats.”
5. A US government shutdown would mean that there might be a flurry of layoffs coming soon, with Donald Trump hinting towards the same. More than 150,000 federal workers have already been put on leave, while tens of thousands have been laid off.
6. The White House’s official X page has blamed Democrats for the imminent shutdown. “Senate Democrats just voted to send the government into a shutdown. DEMOCRAT SHUTDOWN LOADING,” it wrote.
7. Agencies have issued detailed shutdown plans that would close offices conducting scientific research, customer service and other “nonessential” activities and send tens of thousands of workers home without pay. Military troops, border guards and others doing work deemed “essential” would stay on the job, but would not get paid until Congress resolves the standoff.
8. Airlines warned that a shutdown could slow flights, while the Labor Department said it would not issue its monthly unemployment report, a closely watched barometer of economic health.
9. Donald Trump on Tuesday proposed using American cities as training grounds for the armed forces and spoke of needing US military might to combat what he called the “invasion from within.” Addressing an audience of military brass abruptly summoned to Virginia, Trump outlined a muscular and at times norm-shattering view of the military’s role in domestic affairs. He was joined by Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, who declared an end to “woke” culture and announced new directives for troops that include “gender-neutral” or “male-level” standards for physical fitness.
10. Gold prices are nearing towards an all-time high amid the US government shutdown that has bolstered demand. Spot gold was up 0.2% at $3,861.22 per ounce, as of 0030 GMT.
