U.S. government to shut down today unless last-minute deal reached

Far-right holdouts in the Republican party refuse to back a funding bill for the government—including the U.S. military, air traffic control and other essential services—unless it drops cash for various things they dislike. GOP speaker Kevin McCarthy, however, knows he’ll be swiftly deposed by them if he cuts a deal with Democrats in the closely-divided house. Impasse.

The federal government is on the brink of a shutdown, as Congress has yet to reach a deal to extend funding before its midnight deadline. Last-minute meetings between lawmakers are underway.

The Senate put together a bipartisan proposal to avert a shutdown — but House Republicans have thrown cold water on that plan, leaving the two chambers at an impasse. A House vote on a short-term funding measure failed Friday, marking a fresh blow for House Speaker Kevin McCarthy, whose speakership could also be on the line.

A shutdown could have enormous impacts across the country, from air travel to clean drinking water. Many government operations would come to a halt, while services deemed “essential” would continue.

Talk of a “stopgap measure” abounds this morning on Capitol Hill.

As Congress barrels toward its midnight ET deadline to extend funding and avert a federal government shutdown, the question remains if House Democrats would vote for a stopgap bill, known as a continuing resolution, that does not include funding for Ukraine. While one Democratic lawmaker told CNN, “I suspect Democrats would support a clean ‘CR’ to avoid a shutdown,” it’s unclear if that reflects the majority of the Democratic caucus.