Lawmakers have another chance to vote at the end of the month, just a day before the deadline
The threat of a US government shutdown surged on Friday, as the US Senate rejected a short-term funding bill to keep federal agencies operating after September 30 and then left town for a week-long break.
The lawmakers voted 44-48 to defeat a stopgap spending bill that would have kept federal agencies operating at current funding levels through November 21. The measure faced near-universal opposition from Democrats, who demanded increased healthcare funding.
Republicans said they could vote again on September 29, just a day before funding is due to expire, when senators return from a break.
Senate Republican Leader John Thune blamed Democrats for increasing the chances of a shutdown. “Eventually, it’s going to be an up-or-down vote on whether they want to keep the government open,” he said.
