Washington: The United States faces a government shutdown unless Congress passes an appropriations bill to fund federal operations. Without this legislation, agencies suspended nonessential activities starting Wednesday at 12:01 a.m. in Washington, DC.

Although Republicans control the White House, the House and the Senate, they cannot pass the bill alone. While the Senate has 53 Republican senators, 60 votes are required to advance the legislation to a vote.

Republicans proposed a short-term spending plan, but Democrats have been leveraging the shutdown to push for the reversal of Medicaid cuts passed in July and the extension of tax credits for government-purchased health coverage. Neither side is willing to compromise, raising the risk of economic disruption.

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