Much of the federal government is now shut down after Republicans and Democrats in the Senate failed to agree on a pair of dueling funding bills to keep the government open.

Republicans voted to block a bill proposed by Democrats that included government funding through the end of October and an extension of federal healthcare subsidies that are set to expire at the end of the year. The second bill was also defeated nearly along party lines. Democrats refused to join Republicans to approve a short-term measure passed by the House that would keep the government funded at current levels through Nov. 21. Both measures needed 60 votes to pass. • A government shutdown is underway:What happens now?

Democrats have insisted that they will not vote for a spending measure unless Republicans agre

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