US Senate postpones vote on ending government shutdown

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The US Senate postponed the vote on ending the government shutdown until noon on Monday, stretching to a third day with much of the federal government shuttered.

Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell had sought to move a 1:00 am (0600 GMT) Monday vote to 10:00 pm Sunday night, but top Senate Democrat Chuck Schumer objected.

He said that despite continuing negotiations, "we have yet to reach agreement on a path forward that will be acceptable for both sides."

The shutdown came after the House’s short-term government funding bill failed to get enough votes in the Senate on Friday.

A sign depicting a tweet by US President Donald Trump stands during a Democratic House news conference on Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C., US, on Saturday, Jan. 20, 2018. /VCG Photo

Hopes that the shutdown could be limited to the weekend had been raised in the afternoon when a bipartisan group huddled for hours on trying to end the standoff but they ultimately failed to resolve all their differences.

President Donald Trump early Sunday encouraged the Senate's Republican leaders to invoke the "nuclear option" - a procedural maneuver to change the chamber's rules to allow passage of a budget by a simple majority of 51 votes to end the shutdown.

But Senate leaders have been wary of such a move in the past, as it could come back to haunt them the next time the other party holds a majority.

White House press secretary Sarah Sanders said Trump had spoken during the day with McConnell and Senate Majority Whip John Cornyn. She did not mention Trump's speaking with any Democrats but said White House director of legislative affairs Marc Short had been in touch with members of both parties and updated the president.

"We are continuing to work hard towards reopening the government," she said.

(With inputs from AFP)