A bitter standoff in Washington over health care and spending has pushed the United States to the brink of its first government shutdown in seven years. Unless lawmakers strike a deal before midnight, large parts of the federal government will be forced to suspend operations, with hundreds of thousands of workers either furloughed or asked to work without pay. At the centre of the dispute is a temporary funding measure passed by the House to keep the government running for seven weeks. Senate Democrats are refusing to support it unless Republicans agree to extend expiring health care subsidies. President Donald Trump and his party insist the bill should remain “clean,” free of policy concessions. The clash reflects deeper divisions between the two parties. Democrats see the deadline as

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