Welcome to the News Hour. The federal government is barreling toward a shutdown at the stroke of midnight as Congress remains in a partisan deadlock.

The Senate is voting at this hour on last-minute measures to keep the government running, but they are all expected to fail.

Democrats are demanding a bill that reverses cuts to Medicaid and prevents health insurance premiums from

going up at the end of the year. Meanwhile, President Trump has threatened to use a shutdown

to reduce the size of the federal workforce permanently. Congressional correspondent Lisa Desjardin

reports. Hours away from our government shutdown, a Democratic show of force today as they stand firm,

refusing to pass Republicans' bill to fund the government in opposition to President Trump's

actions and looming health care cuts.

We're ready to work in a bipartisan way to keep government open, to lower costs, and to save health care.

All part of a blitz of House Democratic events today. While inside, House Republicans are away.

The halls on that side empty and the chamber shuddered after they passed their funding bill last week

and are daring Senate Democrats to keep rejecting it.

With funding set to expire at midnight, Democratic leader Chuck Schumer putting the onus on President Trump.

He is using Americans as political pawns.

He is admitting that he is doing the firing of people, if God forbid it happens.

Good afternoon, everyone.

But Senate Majority Leader John Thune drew a hard line, indicating he won't hold talks until Democrats relent.

The negotiation happens when the government's open.

So let's keep the government open, and then we will have the negotiation.

A government shutdown would be the first since 2018 and 2019 during President Trump's first term,

when his demands for border wall funding led to a record 35-day impasse.

President Trump today doubled down on his threat of possible mass firings instead of just temporary furloughs.

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