Impending Government Shutdown Looms with No Agreement in Sight

With less than five days to go before a potential government shutdown, there is no agreement in sight as House Speaker Kevin McCarthy struggles to unite his conference on a short-term funding plan. The Senate is set to advance a continuing resolution, but it is unlikely to pass in the House without Democratic support. McCarthy faces the difficult decision of risking his speakership by bringing the Senate proposal to a vote or siding with hard-right legislators and triggering a shutdown. Some House Republicans are pushing for individual long-term appropriations bills, but those remain nonstarters in the Senate. The possibility of a discharge petition to bypass McCarthy and force a vote on a stopgap bill is also being considered.