Lawmakers scramble to agree on spending bill as another government shutdown looms

WASHINGTON DC — The temporary spending deal Congress passed in September to avoid a government shutdown is expiring soon, which raises new concerns.

With only twelve days to reach a deal, there is no clear compromise that both chambers seem to agree on.

A shutdown would delay paychecks for missions of federal workers and delay some federal services.

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There is a lot of focus on the new House Speaker, Mike Johnson, with it being only his second full week on the job.

“This group is ready to govern and we have begun that already,” Speaker of the House of Representatives, Mike Johnson (R) said.

The House has passed several Republican-backed spending bills that don’t stand a chance of passing in the Democratic-led Senate.

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Speaker Johnson is working to determine if House Republicans will support another temporary measure known as a continuing resolution to buy more time.

House Democrats are blaming Republicans for the holdup.

“They want to shut the government down,” House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D) said.

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While the House remained strongly divided, there has been some progress in the Senate.

Last week, the Senate overwhelmingly passed three Bipartisan Spending bills in a vote of 82 to 15.

“Unlike the funding measures we’ve seen pushed through the House, these are serious and reasonable bipartisan bills that can actually be signed into law,” Sen. Patty Murray (D-Washington) said.

A deal must be reached by midnight on Nov. 17 to avoid a shutdown.

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