The US Senate is due back in session to try to end a budget impasse before the start of the working week when the shutdown of many federal services will be felt around the country. Hundreds of thousands of federal staff face the prospect of unpaid leave. <br/><br/>Yesterday, recriminations flew around over the Senate's failure to pass a new budget and prevent the shutdown. A bill to fund the federal government for the coming weeks did not receive the required 60 votes on Friday. <br/><br/>The Republican leader of the US Senate, Mitch McConnell, has said there will be a vote in the early hours of Monday on a bill to fund the government until the 8th of next month. The last government shutdown was in 2013, and lasted for 16 days.