Shutdown looms in the US

By Clare Foran, Haley Talbot, Morgan Rimmer, Kristin Wilson and Lauren Fox, CNN

(CNN) — With just four days before government funding expires, there is still no clear path to avert a shutdown.

The House and Senate are on a collision course as House Republicans have thrown cold water on the prospect of passing a bipartisan Senate proposal that contains additional aid to Ukraine.

The Senate has taken a bipartisan approach – unveiling a stopgap bill negotiated between the two parties to keep the government open through November 17.

But House Speaker Kevin McCarthy has signaled that there is not sufficient support in the House for the Senate stopgap bill amid criticism of the measure from House conservatives. A number of House Republicans oppose further aid to Ukraine and oppose any kind of short-term funding patch.

McCarthy has instead outlined a different course of action, saying that the House will consider a separate conservative stopgap bill with border provisions. It is not clear if even that will have the GOP votes to pass in the chamber.

McCarthy indicated the House will take up that measure regardless of whether GOP leadership is confident the votes are there to pass it, daring hardliners within his own party to vote against it.

“We’re going to need more time. So we will pass a continuing resolution, bring that up hopefully on Friday that would keep government open, but at the same time, deal with the border,” McCarthy said on Wednesday.

House Republicans have been riven by internal divisions and demands from hardline conservatives have taken center stage as the possibility of a shutdown looms.

Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell defended the Senate bill when asked on Wednesday if he would be willing to strip out Ukraine aid to give it better odds of passing in the House.

“I’m comfortable with the way we put together the Senate bill. It basically is trying to do just a continuation until November the 17th. This crafted package is a result of a lot of discussion. I think it makes sense for the Senate. I also think it makes sense for the country and that’s what I intend to support,” he said.

In addition to extending government funding into November, the Senate’s bipartisan bill includes $6.2 billion in Ukraine aid and $6 billion for natural disasters.

Independent Sen. Kyrsten Sinema of Arizona is working with Republicans on a border security amendment to the Senate’s short-term spending bill. It’s not clear that anything they come up with would pass muster among Democrats but it comes as GOP leaders in the House are signaling that border security is an essential and shows that members are fully aware of the time constraints and political realities of this moment.

As each chamber takes its own path, the odds of a shutdown grow by the day.

House Rules Chairman Tom Cole said that he is not confident that the American people won’t wake up to a shutdown Monday morning.

“Obviously, we’ve got our challenges here as well and the two chambers are a long way apart. So again, I am not at all confident we won’t end up in a shutdown,” said Cole, a Republican from Oklahoma.

A number of hardline conservatives have voiced opposition to any kind of short-term funding bill.

Tennessee Republican Rep. Andy Ogles said he remains a “no” on a short-term spending bill despite the fact leadership implored members in conference to work as a team.

“Buckle up. There’s turbulence ahead,” Ogles said.

Schumer on Wednesday criticized House Republicans for focusing on a party-line strategy and warned of the prospect of an impending shutdown.

“Every bill House Republicans have pushed has been partisan … every path they have pursued to date will inevitably lead to a shutdown,” he said.

The Senate has its own challenges to face as GOP Sen. Rand Paul of Kentucky has said he will slow walk any bill with additional Ukraine funding. Without the consent of all 100 members to speed up the time it takes to consider the bill, it’s not clear whether the chamber could pass the measure before the shutdown deadline.

Schumer on Wednesday warned against members trying “last-minute delay tactics” over passage of the bipartisan stopgap bill, which he said could risk a shutdown.

“There’s still much more work to do,” he said in remarks on the Senate floor. “Now that we’re on the bill, it will require consent and cooperation to move it swiftly through the chamber. We cannot have members trying last-minute delay tactics and risk a shutdown”

President Joe Biden expressed hope Wednesday that a shutdown may yet be averted even as federal agencies begin to plan for government funding to run out at the end of the month.

“I don’t think anything’s inevitable in politics,” Biden said when asked if he believed a shutdown was unavoidable.

This story and headline have been updated with additional developments.

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