US govt faces shutdown as lawmakers fail to agree

Republicans in the United States House of Representatives regrouped yesterday to approve a must-pass spending bill, but the prospect of a government shutdown loomed as Democrats said it would go nowhere in the Senate.



Even in the face of rock-bottom approval ratings, the dispute suggested that lawmakers may not be able to bridge their differences to pass even the most essential legislation.

Aid for victims of tornadoes, wildfires and other disasters could dry up by Monday if Congress does not replenish a dwindling relief fund. Funding for everything from national parks to law enforcement could expire in a week.

House Speaker John Boehner said the dispute would not lead to a government shutdown. Congress has more than a week to resolve its differences, and every spending debate this year has gone down to the wire.

"I urge the Senate to quickly pass this bill so we can send it to the president and keep the focus on the American people's top priority: Jobs," Mr Boehner added in a statement after the vote.

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