As yet another deadline looms, a divided US House stumbles closer to a federal shutdown: 5 essential reads

U.S. Speaker of the House Mike Johnson arrives for a GOP meeting at the Capitol on Nov. 7, 2023. Drew Angerer/Getty Images

Once again, federal budget negotiations are down to the last minute, and once again, GOP hardliners are in the middle of what might turn into a gridlock.

Current government funding expires on Nov. 17, 2023. While newly elected Speaker of the House Mike Johnson has not announced any new and specific proposals that stand a chance of passage in the Democratic-controlled Senate, he has urged the public to “trust us.”