US government shutdown looms as Congress leaves for holiday break

Another US government shutdown looms as lawmakers have already wrapped up their business for the year. US lawmakers are facing another government shutdown in January unless a bill to fund the government can be passed. House Speaker Mike Johnson cobbled together one stopgap bill to avoid a shutdown just after the ouster of former Speaker Kevin McCarthy. Congress passed only 30 bills this year which became law. One was the annual defence bill which raised pay for service members.