10.27pm GMT

We're going to wrap up our live coverage for the day. With the foregone defeat of two bills in the Senate today and the departure of the House on weekend recess, the sequester is a done deal, barring some truly, shockingly extraordinary twist.

Starting at midnight tomorrow, federal programs will begin to operate on budgets trimmed by a total of $85 billion over seven months. A guide to what will be cut is here. If the Congress does not replace the sequester by the end of the year, further cuts totaling $1.2tn over 10 years will be enacted.

The Congress faces a 27 March deadline to pass a continuing resolution to fund the government. Taxes and spending will once again be on the table, and a sequester agreement could shake out. Or Congress may reach a budget agreement without addressing the sequester.

There will be one last sequester negotiation, tomorrow at the White House, but no Congress around to pass any agreement that might (pshaw) miraculously shake out.