US shutdown risk as Trump-backed congress bill rejected

The US government is on course for a holiday-season shutdown after a late intervention from Donald Trump and Elon Musk derailed efforts to pass a massive end-of-year funding bill in Congress.

A revised, 11th-hour bill proposed by the Republicans was voted down in the House of Representatives on Thursday night by Democrats and dozens of Republicans, who had just days before agreed to an extensive spending deal to keep the lights on through the New Year.

With 24 hours to go until the government’s budget runs out, it means almost a million US federal workers could go without pay over Christmas if agencies are forced to close.

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