Hundreds of thousands of federal workers deemed not essential for protecting people or property – such as law enforcement personnel – could be furloughed or laid off when the shutdown begins at midnight (5am UK time). “US senators have failed to pass a last-minute bill to avert a government shutdown, all but guaranteeing funding will cut off at midnight ( here’s how we got to this point
A shutdown, the first since 2018-19, could bring some – but not all – US government services to a temporary halt
President Donald Trump threatens mass ”irreversible” firings of federal workers if a shutdown happens
Republican Senator John Thune says Republicans won’t be “taken hostage”, while the Senate’s top Democrat Chuck Schumer says Republicans “tell lies”
With the midnight deadline looming and both sides trying to assign – and avoid – blame, writes our correspondent Anthony Zurcher
Generally, in a shutdown, essential workers continue as normal – some without pay – but government employees deemed non-essential are temporarily put on unpaid leave
