"Countdown to Government Shutdown: Lawmakers Struggle to Reach Deal Amid Conservative Resistance"
With just five days until a key funding deadline, lawmakers have yet to reach a bipartisan spending deal to avert a partial government shutdown. High-level disagreements over policy issues persist, with Senate Democrats expressing anger and frustration at the growing risk of a shutdown. President Biden will convene congressional leaders as the White House pressures lawmakers to pass additional funding to Ukraine. The federal government has already begun preparing for a potential shutdown, with funding set to expire for various government agencies on March 1 and March 8.