00:00The United States government is on the brink of a shutdown after Democrats and Republicans in Congress failed to reach an agreement on the next annual budget.
00:12The shutdown will go into effect on Wednesday if the Senate does not pass a House measure that would extend federal funding for seven weeks while lawmakers finish their work on annual spending bills.
00:23But Senate Democrats said they won't vote for it unless expiring health care benefits for low- and middle-income citizens are extended, among other demands.
00:34In the event of a shutdown, non-essential civil servants would be placed on unpaid leave while their colleagues in essential services must continue to work without pay.
00:44The Democratic Party has long denounced shutdowns as destructive and pointless.
00:49The party activists and voters have pushed for Democrats to do more to stand up to President Trump's policies.
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