House Speaker McCarthy's Options Dwindle To Avoid Government Shutdown
WASHINGTON (NEWSnet/AP) — U.S. House Speaker Kevin McCarthy is running out of options as he races to develop a plan to avoid a federal government shutdown.
A plan to include a hardline border security provision wasn’t enough to appease the some in his Republican House majority.
McCarthy told his Republican conference they should be prepared to stay through the coming weekend to pass a stopgap measure, called a continuing resolution, that would keep government offices open past the Sept. 30 deadline. But many already are bracing for political fallout of a federal shutdown.
McCarthy suggested Monday that time ison his side.
“This isn’t the 30th — we’ve got a long ways to go,” he told reporters at the Capitol.
McCarthy panned the idea of compromising with Democrats as he tries to pass the annual spending measures on his own, saying there are “a lot of good ideas” still coming from Republicans.
On Sunday, House Republicans pitched a vote to approve a one-month funding bill that was negotiated between House Freedom Caucus and a group of conservatives known as Main Street Caucus, according to those with knowledge of the call.
The package is intended to win support from the conservative wing of the Republican Conference by including a 1% cut to last year’s spending level as well as proposals for border security and immigration.
With the Senate controlled by Democrats unlikely to accept any of the conservative options, the best hope McCarthy has is to pass a measure to kickstart debate with the other chamber. Even that route is uncertain, with time dwindling to strike a deal.
McCarthy planned to hold a vote on a Department of Defense spending bill on Wednesday, then the stopgap funding measure the next day.
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