STORY: The U.S. was headed towards its 15th government shutdown since 1981 on Tuesday (September 30), with Republicans and Democrats in Congress unable to agree on -- indeed not even appearing to negotiate -- a deal to fund federal agencies.

The Republican-controlled Senate is expected to vote on a temporary spending bill that has failed once already, with no sign that a second vote will bring success before the midnight deadline (0400 GMT Wednesday).

Democrats want to modify the bill to extend health benefits for millions of Americans that are due to expire at the end of the year. Republicans say they must tackle that issue separately.

Federal agencies, meanwhile, issued detailed plans that would close offices conducting scientific research, customer service, and other activities not deemed essential and send thousands of workers home if Congress does not agree on a fix before funding expires. Airlines warned that a shutdown could slow flights.

U.S. President Donald Trump warned congressional Democrats on Tuesday (September 30) that allowing the federal government to shut down at midnight would allow his administration to take "irreversible" actions including shutting down programs important to them. Trump did not specify the actions he might take, but he has raised the possibility recently of further downsizing the federal workforce.

Budget-related showdowns have become a routine feature in Washington as the nation's politics have grown increasingly dysfunctional, though they are often resolved at the last minute. The government last shut down for 35 days in 2018 and 2019, during Trump's first term, due to a dispute over immigration.

DESCRIPCIÓN DE IMÁGENES

VIDEO SHOWS: SENATE REPUBLICAN LEADER JOHN THUNE AND DEMOCRATIC SENATE LEADER CHUCK SCHUMER SPEAK TO REPORTERS SEPARATELY HOURS BEFORE THE MIDNIGHT DEADLINE OF A POSSIBLE GOVT. SHUTDOWN

RESENDING WITH FULL SCRIPT

SHOWS: WASHINGTON, D.C., UNITED STATES (SEPTEMBER 30, 2025)(REUTERS - Access all)

1. (SOUNDBITE)(English) SENATE REPUBLICAN LEADER JOHN THUNE SAYING:

"Well good afternoon everyone, we are only hours away from a government shutdown and the Democrats have a very clear binary choice. They can choose to keep the government open by voting for a short term, non-partisan, clean continuing resolution, 24 pages long or they can vote to shut the government down. That's what we're looking at."

2. WHITE FLASH

3. (SOUNDBITE)(English) SENATE REPUBLICAN LEADER JOHN THUNE SAYING:

"And if the government shuts down, it's on the Senate Democrats. The House has acted, the president is ready to sign the bill and all that's left is for 8 Democrats to join us in passing that bill today."

4. WHITE FLASH

5. (SOUNDBITE)(English) SENATE REPUBLICAN LEADER JOHN THUNE SAYING:

"And if they decide to vote it down tonight, they're going to be the ones to have to explain at midnight tonight why the government shut down."

6. (SOUNDBITE)(English) SENATE DEMOCRATIC LEADER CHUCK SCHUMER SAYING:

"Democrats do not want a shutdown. We stand ready to work with Republicans to find a bipartisan compromise. and the ball's in their court."

7. WHITE FLASH

8. (SOUNDBITE)(English) SENATE DEMOCRATIC LEADER CHUCK SCHUMER SAYING:

"Finally, after months of asking months and mounting pressure, Leader Jeffries and I went to the White House yesterday to meet with the president and Republican leaders to find a way forward. And sitting in the room, it was very clear behind closed doors that the president hasn't fully grasped the magnitude of the disaster he's causing Americans. As costs continue to skyrocket for Americans, thanks to Trump's tariffs, economic policies, clean energy policies and disastrous blunders, Americans are prepared to spend 114% more on their health insurance. That's right. That just came out. The Kaiser, according to the Kaiser Families Foundation's analysis today, without ACA premium tax credits, premiums will double, more than double on average, and this not only affects those on ACA, it affects just about every American family with health insurance."

9. WHITE FLASH

10. (SOUNDBITE)(English) SENATE DEMOCRATIC LEADER CHUCK SCHUMER SAYING:

"Republicans know perfectly well that undocumented immigrants are already prohibited, as I said, from getting insurance on ACA, Medicare or Medicaid. They know perfectly well not a single sentence or clause or comma that we're pushing in our bill does that. But they're lying because they know they're screwed if this debate turns about, turns into one about healthcare, and guess what? That's just what we are doing."

11. WHITE FLASH

12. (SOUNDBITE)(English) SENATE DEMOCRATIC LEADER CHUCK SCHUMER SAYING ON TRUMP'S TRUTH SOCIAL POST AFTER WHITE HOUSE MEETING:

"His video was dumb. It was childish. It was petty. It's something that a five year old would do, not a President of the United States. But it shows how unserious they are. They don't give a damn about the harm they will cause with their shutdown."

13. WHITE FLASH

14. (SOUNDBITE)(English) REPORTER SAYING:

"The president is now threatening these irreversible cuts to the workforce, to programs. Is that a risk that Democrats are willing to take?"

15. (SOUNDBITE)(English) SENATE DEMOCRATIC LEADER CHUCK SCHUMER SAYING:

"The bottom line is he's doing it anyway. They've already cut 300,000 people, whether it's a shutdown or not, it'll be up to Trump, whether he's going to let Musk formally DOGE vote to do these cuts, do these layoffs and do these firings. It will fall on him as I said, he's the one doing the firings, not Democrats and that's what it shows."