Trump-backed spending deal fails to clear US House, shutdown looms

The US House of Representatives on Thursday overwhelmingly rejected a Republican-led funding bill aimed at averting a government shutdown, with federal agencies due to run out of cash on Friday night and begin closing down at the weekend. The contentious bill would have suspended the country’s borrowing limit for President-elect Donald Trump’s first two years in office and dozens of debt hawks in the Republican ranks rebelled against their own leadership to sink the package.