Shutdown near certain after Senate again rejects funding bills
A government shutdown is now all but inevitable.
Senators rejected dueling spending stopgap bills on Tuesday, including a failed 55-45 vote on a House-passed continuing resolution that was the final off-ramp to avoid a government shutdown set to start at 12:01 a.m. Wednesday.
There’s no sign of any further breakthrough that could avert a shutdown before midnight — and even if there was, it would be next to impossible for lawmakers to act on it. Quick Senate action would require the consent of all 100 senators, and passing anything other than the House-approved CR would require the other chamber to act.
Speaker Mike Johnson sent his members home until Monday in a bid to pressure the Senate to swallow what the House already passed: a seven-week punt.