US government 'preparing' for shutdown: W.House official

The White House has advised US federal government agencies to prepare for a shutdown, an official said, as Congress hit a stumbling block in its efforts to pass a stopgap spending bill before midnight.

The White House Office of Management and Budget "is currently preparing for a lapse in appropriations," an OMB official said on condition of anonymity, calling on lawmakers to send the stopgap measure to President Donald Trump's desk "without delay.