Washington • A government shutdown seemed guaranteed late Friday after a short-term spending bill failed to advance due to opposition from Democrats and some Republicans.
The bill to keep the government open through Feb. 16 collapsed just after 10 p.m. after a vote to end debate failed to garner the necessary 60 votes in the Senate. With the midnight deadline approaching, lawmakers had not agreed to an alternative plan and it was not clear what they would do next.
Republicans had insisted on a four-week funding extension that included a six-year authorization for the Children’s Health Insurance Program and delayed several health-care taxes.