Eli Ridder | UNITED STATES

United States Senator Rand Paul, a Republican, held up a crucial vote on a massive two-year budget bill to avoid a government shutdown that could occur at midnight should a deal not be passed by Congress.

LIVE: U.S. Government Attempts To Avoid Shutdown

The Last Government Shutdown

Mr. Paul criticized both sides of the isle for attempting to pass the 700-page document released late on Wednesday evening, saying that “Republicans and Democrats are spending us into oblivion”.

“If you were against President [Barack] Obama’s deficits, and now you’re for the Republican deficits, isn’t that the very definition of hypocrisy?”

Democrats in the House of Representatives also appear to be a roadblock to the more permanent legislation, as the blue caucus is divided over supporting the bill while House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi has been taking a strong stance over immigration demands.

Pelosi held the House floor for over eight hours straight on Wednesday in support of the Deferred Action For Childhood Arrivals program that allows children of illegal immigrants to stay and work in the U.S., protecting over 700,000 from deportation.

“There’s only so much I can do. This is a silly thing about it. I can keep them here until 3 a.m. I will make them listen to me and they will have to have me to listen to me,” Paul said on Fox News earlier on Thursday.

Kentucky’s Paul held up the Senate floor for an hour on Thursday evening, after trying to push an amendment vote for a majority of the day to the refusal of Senate leadership.

To avoid a shutdown, it has to pass through the Senate, House and get signed off on by U.S. President Donald Trump before midnight.

More details to follow. Image of Rand Paul from Capital Factory.