US faces shutdown threat, Trump threatens to lay off workers

News Topical, Digital Desk : The US government is heading for its 15th shutdown since 1981 as Republicans and Democrats in Congress have failed to reach a deal on funding for federal agencies.

The risk of government work being disrupted increased

In fact, it appears the two sides are unwilling to even negotiate on the issue. A Senate vote on the temporary spending bill is likely to fail again, raising the risk of a government shutdown on Wednesday.

Democrats are pushing for a health benefit expansion amid fears of a shutdown. Meanwhile, President Donald Trump has threatened to lay off federal workers amid uncertainty about the shutdown.

Now scheduled to shut down

Meanwhile, a White House meeting failed to yield any easy solutions. Responding to the situation after a meeting with Democrats, Vice President J.D. Vance called the impasse absurd and said a shutdown was now inevitable.

However, both sides have blamed each other for the impasse. Democrats want healthcare issues included in the bill. They want to amend the bill to provide healthcare benefits to millions of Americans, while Republicans say they must deal with this issue separately.

Vance said, “I think we're heading towards a shutdown.”

Nevertheless, Vance said, "I think we're heading toward a shutdown." A vote on the temporary spending bill has already failed once in the Republican-controlled Senate. There is no indication that a second vote will succeed before the midnight deadline (4:00 a.m. GMT Wednesday).

Federal agencies have released detailed plans that would close offices involved in scientific research, customer service and other non-essential activities and send thousands of employees home if Congress doesn't agree on a solution before funding runs out.

The shutdown could have adverse effects on many departments.

Airlines have warned that the shutdown could directly impact flights. The Labor Department has said it will not release its monthly unemployment report, a closely watched gauge of economic health.

The Small Business Administration has said it will stop issuing loans, while the Environmental Protection Agency has said it will suspend some pollution-cleanup efforts. However, US Trade Representative Jamieson Greer said, "We will continue essentially normal operations during any shutdown."

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