With Senate in recess and no bill passed, government shutdown will start at midnight
The Senate is in recess until 12:01 a.m. Friday, and because they failed to pass a spending bill, a government shutdown will start at midnight.
White House Office of Management and Budget spokesman John Czwartacki said federal agencies are "now being urged to review and prepare for a lapse" in spending after midnight. Congress was expected to vote Thursday on a two-year deal that includes a roughly $300 billion bump for military spending and domestic programs, as well as nearly $90 billion for disaster relief. This was stalled by Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.), who refused to go along with his fellow senators to move to hold a vote, citing concerns about adding to the deficit.
The Senate plans on voting on the matter early Friday, but it's unclear how the bill will fare in the House, and leaders there are advising members to "prepare for late night or early morning votes." This will be the second government shutdown in less than a month.
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Catherine Garcia has worked as a senior writer at The Week since 2014. Her writing and reporting have appeared in Entertainment Weekly, The New York Times, Wirecutter, NBC News and "The Book of Jezebel," among others. She's a graduate of the University of Redlands and the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism.
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