House Republicans are under pressure to pass a stopgap federal funding measure that will prevent a government shutdown after Sept. 30.
House Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R., Calif.) told members they should be prepared to remain in D.C. through the weekend as the deadline quickly approaches.
McCarthy is eyeing Thursday for a House vote on a continuing resolution, a short-term funding measure that would avert a shutdown. A group of GOP lawmakers on Sunday said they had reached an agreement through the end of October that cuts 1% from current spending.
But McCarthy faces resistance from within the GOP, including about 12 lawmakers who don’t support the continuing resolution. It doesn’t include extra money for Ukraine or disaster relief but does include a border crackdown the Biden administration opposes.
The bill as proposed also has little chance of passing the Senate, where Democrats hold a thin majority. Sen. Majority Leader Chuck Schumer said it wasn’t a serious proposal, calling it “slapdash” and “reckless.” Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen said Monday she sees no need for a government shutdown.
Congress is trying to take up the 12 annual appropriation bills that fund the government. Members of both parties in both chambers have supported a temporary funding measure to give them more time to pass legislation and reach a full-year agreement.
A vote is even trickier for McCarthy because of medical- and family-related absences in the House, the Washington Post reported. He needs 218 Republican votes for the bill to pass, but his four-vote margin could shrink as members undergo medical treatment or have other absences.
Write to Liz Moyer at [email protected]
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