The US government has officially shut down for the second time this year because Congress failed to meet a deadline to vote on a new budget.
Senators struggled with last-minute objections from Republican Rand Paul, but have now passed the bill, which has gone to the House for its vote.
The 600-page plan proposes an increase in spending, by about $300bn (£215bn), on defence and domestic services.
Federal funding for government services had expired at midnight (05:00 GMT).
If the plan is passed in the House of Representatives and signed by the president in the next few hours, the shutdown could be rescinded before the US working day begins on Friday.
But it is not clear how the House will vote, and how public services would be affected on Friday if the shutdown were to continue.
The federal Office of Personnel Management said government operations would “vary by agency” and employees should “refer to their home agency for guidance on reporting for duty”.
CNN is reporting that if the shutdown is not averted, government agencies will still be able to call their employees in for a half day’s work to make the shutdown go smoothly.
–
Source: BBC