U.S. Government Shuts Down as Senate Gridlock Blocks Funding Bills

Washington: The United States government has officially entered a shutdown after the Senate failed late Tuesday night to advance competing funding bills from Republicans and Democrats, marking the first federal closure in nearly seven years. The stalemate, driven largely by a partisan battle over healthcare provisions, halted funding for federal departments at midnight.

The collapse followed weeks of bitter wrangling in Congress. House Republicans had passed a short-term measure to keep the government funded through November 21, but the bill required Democratic support in the Senate to meet the 60-vote threshold. Democrats withheld their votes, demanding the extension of Affordable Care Act (ACA) premium tax credits, a reversal of Republican cuts to Medicaid and public media, and restri