Government shutdown is all

A temporary government shutdown was all but guaranteed Friday night as Congress struggled to break a stalemate over money for President Donald Trump’s proposed border wall.

Parts of the government will close if Congress cannot pass seven spending bills by midnight Friday. Lawmakers scrambled through the afternoon and into the early evening to break an impasse over whether to fund the barrier on the U.S.-Mexico border.

But the House adjourned at about 7 p.m. ET Friday without passing legislation that the Senate supports, and the chamber is not due back until noon Saturday. Then the Senate adjourned at about 8 p.m. ET without approving a spending bill that the House backs. Senators are expected back at noon Saturday, as well.

The deadlock leaves Washington almost certain to let funding lapse for the third time this year. A closure could last through Christmas and into the new year, past when Democrats take control of the House on Jan. 3. It would send the unified Republican government out in a swirl of chaos that marked Trump’s first two years in the White House.

Still, lawmakers could move quickly to pass spending legislation this weekend if leaders reach an agreement. House Republicans told members they would get 24 hours of notice before a vote.