As 2 spending bills fail in Senate, chances to avoid a government shutdown fade
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Two bills to fund the government have failed in the Senate, leaving Congress careening toward a shutdown with hours to go before a midnight deadline.
Democratic and Republican leaders remain at an impasse over funding negotiations and expiring health care subsidies. Each party backed their own short-term funding bill to avert a shutdown Tuesday, but neither could win enough support from across the aisle to reach the 60-vote threshold needed to pass.
"Democrats may have chosen to shut down the government tonight, but we can reopen it tomorrow," Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., told reporters after the failed votes. "All it takes is a handful of Democrats to join Republicans to pass the clean, non-partisan funding bill that's in front of us."
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Kentucky Sen. Rand Paul was the sole Republican to vote against the GOP-backed bill.
Two Democratic senators, Catherine Cortez-Masto of Nevada and John Fetterman of Pennsylvania, along with Independent Sen. Angus King of Maine, broke ranks and voted in favor of the GOP-led bill.
Senate GOP Whip John Barrasso, R-Wyo., said those three votes indicate there's bipartisan support to get the continuing resolution acr
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