US House Republicans failed to pass a temporary spending bill, known as a CR, to keep the government open until Oct. 31.
The 165-page bill, backed by House Speaker Kevin McCarthy, was rejected in a 198-232 vote, with 21 Republicans joining Democrats to defeat it.
The failure came as lawmakers have until the end of Saturday, when the current fiscal year terminates, to pass a bill to fund the government and avoid a potentially catastrophic government shutdown.
It is unclear how long a closure would last, but many believe it is all but certain to take hold with persistent Republican infighting paralyzing the House of Representatives.
During a shutdown, many of the federal government's 4 million workers will be furloughed, or forced to remain home without a paycheck, while others deemed essential will work without pay. That includes the 1.3 million active-duty service members as well as federal law enforcement and air traffic controllers.
