US Senate rejects both proposals to end government shutdown

Rival proposals to reopen the US government on day 34 of the shutdown failed in the US Senate on Thursday, falling short of the 60 votes required. A bill supported by President Donald Trump and the Republican leadership would have given $5.7 billion towards a border wall, granted some immigrants in the US temporarily or illegally some protections from deportation, and funded the government through September. It was backed by 50 senators and opposed by 47. The proposal approved by the Democrat-led House of Representatives, which gives no wall funding and would keep the government open until February 8, was backed by 52 senators and opposed by 44, with six Republicans defecting to the Democrat side. Some 800,000 federal workers are now set to miss the second paycheck in a row on Friday.