U.S. Congress scrambles to prevent government shutdown

With hours to go before the end of the U.S. fiscal year and funding authorisations, Congress is acting to avert a federal shut down, with both the Senate and House expected to pass short-term measures

With hours to go before the end of the U.S. fiscal year and funding authorisations, Congress is acting to avert a federal shut down, with both the Senate and House expected to pass short-term measures to keep the government open until December 3.

The actions were in part possible because Democrats have dropped their insistence that the funding extension be tied to raising the public debt ceiling (how much the U.S. Treasury can borrow to fund its expenditures), a move Republicans were not willing to support.

Congress has time until October 18 to raise the debt ceiling and prevent a possible economic crisis due to the resulting government default.