India, Oct. 1 -- The US government is headed towards a formal shutdown, with last ditch efforts to pass a bill crafted by Republicans as a short-term measure to fund the government through November 21 failed.

The Democrats presently have the votes to effectively block the passage of a Republican stopgap funding package that does not address their demands, Bloomberg reported.

The vote was 55 to 45 on Tuesday evening, while the Republicans need at least 60 votes to ensure the passage of the bill. The vote further showed that both parties were unlikely to relent, even as a federal funding deadline looms.

The government spending will expire at 12.01 am if the Senate does not pass the measure to extend federal funding for seven weeks while ...