Large swaths of the U.S. government would be forced to stop operating at midnight on March 14 if Congress does not pass detailed spending legislation that would keep agencies running.

A government shutdown crisis can seem like the "boy who cried wolf" story of American politics. Democrats and Republicans in Congress have come to the cusp of a shutdown repeatedly in recent years, only to avert disaster at the 11th hour with a mix of votes from both parties. But the story could get a new ending as soon as next week.