"White House Braces for Government Shutdown Amidst GOP Funding Dilemma"

The White House is preparing for a government shutdown as House Republicans have left town without a viable plan to fund the government and avoid disruptions to federal services. Speaker Kevin McCarthy is facing pressure from hard-right conservatives in his caucus who are demanding severe spending cuts. The Biden administration's Office of Management and Budget is advising federal agencies to review and update their shutdown plans, indicating that federal employees could be furloughed next week. The House GOP leadership has announced plans to process a package of four bills to fund certain departments, but the hard-right faction is pushing for larger reductions and cuts. A shutdown would impact various activities, including military pay, food safety programs, air travel, and passport processing, and could have economic consequences.