LIVE: Shutdown Countdown | Balance of Power Special

"Balance of Power" is live counting down to a possible US government shutdown. Coverage starts at 5 pm ET on Tuesday.

President Donald Trump threatened mass firings of federal workers as the US hurtles toward a shutdown with Democrats and Republicans at an impasse over funding the government.

The deadlock over spending threatens to paralyze many US government operations, causing the suspension of services for Americans and paychecks for federal workers, with as many as 750,000 federal workers potentially being temporarily furloughed.