The US Senate has rejected stopgap legislation to fund Government operations, sending lawmakers scrambling to stave off a shutdown at week’s end in the heat of the presidential campaign.
The temporary spending bill fell 45-55, well short of the 60 votes needed to advance in the chamber on Tuesday.
The fiscal year ends on September 30. Should Congress fail to pass a bill approving federal spending - or in this case, extending existing spending levels until December 9 - by midnight Friday, some government offices and operations could shutter.
The budget debate revolves around disputes over how to fund the ongoing water crisis in Flint, Michigan.