U.S. lawmakers have less than ten days to come up with a spending bill to fund the U.S. government or risk a shutdown. An extended shutdown could roil the U.S. economy, which already must contend with an ongoing autoworkers strike, soaring gasoline prices, higher interest rates, and the restart of student loan payments on October 1. House Republican infighting torpedoed plans for a Saturday vote on a temporary spending bill crafted to meet conservatives’ demands and act as a starting point in negotiations with the Senate.
Bitter divisions among Republican House members make it difficult for leaders to formulate a plan to keep the government running. On Thursday, House Speaker McCarthy sent lawmakers home for a long weekend after two Republican ultraconservatives ambushed him in a procedural vote. McCarthy’s latest plan is for the House to vote next week on a few spending bills that address conservative demands for deeper spending cuts. Those measures could then entice holdouts to support a short-term funding bill eventually.
