GOP Opposition Jeopardizes McCarthy's Plan to Avoid Shutdown

Speaker Kevin McCarthy's plan to pass a stopgap spending bill with spending cuts and border controls to avoid a government shutdown is facing stiff opposition from within his own party. Roughly a dozen Republicans have expressed staunch opposition to the proposal, making it impossible for McCarthy to advance the bill. While the measure has little chance of passing the Democratic-controlled Senate, McCarthy hopes it will pressure the Senate to come his way on spending. However, the internal resistance indicates that he is well short of the votes needed to pass it. The proposal includes funding cuts, immigration provisions opposed by Democrats, and lacks assistance for Ukraine, making it unlikely to pass in its current form. McCarthy's strategy worked in the debt limit showdown earlier this year, but far-right House conservatives are not inclined to support him in the current spending fight. Some Republicans are alarmed by the prospect of a shutdown, while others are unwilling to support it. McCarthy may try to pass a stopgap bill with a combination of Republican and Democratic votes, but some Republicans on the right have threatened to challenge his job.