A partial government shutdown began at midnight as Congress failed to pass a short-term spending bill. Sen. Rand Paul, R-Ky., objected to the package that includes an agreement for hundreds of billions of dollars in new federal spending over the next two years. Paul's right to object will expire early Friday morning and the Senate is expected to pass the spending bill in the wee hours, sending it to the House. The Senate bill would reopen the government through March 23, but it is unclear whether there is enough support in the House to pass it as both conservative Republicans and liberal Democrats are objecting.
