What to Know About the Looming Government Shutdown: QuickTake

The US government is fast approaching yet another shutdown unless Congress enacts a temporary spending bill before the new fiscal year starts on Oct. 1. With the Democratic-led Senate and Republican-led House still far apart on the outlines of such a stopgap spending measure, discussion is shifting from whether a shutdown will happen to how long it might last. Memories remain fresh of the longest shutdown in US history, lasting 35 days in late 2018 into early 2019, over President Donald Trump’s insistence on $5.7 billion for a wall on the border with Mexico.

1. Why does the ...