The second government shutdown of 2018 is underway 17 days after the last one ended. Sen. Rand Paul blocked a vote on a bipartisan spending deal out of opposition to planned spending cap hikes, pushing the Senate past the midnight deadline.
- Where things stand: Senate leadership is confident they can pass the deal with a series of votes beginning around 1 a.m.
- The big question mark comes in the House, where Nancy Pelosi has said she'll oppose any deal that doesn't include protections for Dreamers, and Republican leadership seems uncertain whether they'll get the Democratic votes they need to overcome opposition from the ultra-conservative Freedom Caucus.