The United States is on the brink of another government shutdown after lawmakers in the upper chamber of Congress failed to reach a deal on a new budget for funding government operations.
Republican in the Senate fell well short of the 60 votes necessary to proceed on the spending bill, which had passed the House of Representatives on Thursday.
Senate Democrats blocked consideration of a temporary spending bill to keep the government operating, leaving less than two hours for lawmakers to find a way to avert a midnight shutdown.
The federal government is operating on a third temporary funding measure since the current fiscal year began in October.
The vast majority of Democratic senators have said they would not support the legislation unless it includes protections for hundreds of thousands of young illegal immigrants, but Republicans have so far refused.
Without a deal, the government shutdown would begin right after midnight, on the…