By Richard Cowan and David Morgan WASHINGTON (Reuters) -With less than two weeks to go before a March 14 deadline, Republicans and Democrats in the U.S. Congress appear to be nowhere close to a deal to avert a government shutdown that would throw Washington into deeper turmoil.

Federal funding for a slew of agencies is set to lapse on March 14, and lawmakers are struggling to come to an agreement on how to keep the government’s lights on.

Democrats and Republicans are already pointing fingers over a potential government shutdown next month. Republicans may pass a short-term extension of last year's federal funding.