Congress To Return Tomorrow With Four Days To Prevent Government Shutdown

Congress will come back into session tomorrow with four days to pass a short-term funding measure to avert a government shutdown on Saturday.

• President Biden said over the weekend: “Just a few months ago... myself and [House Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-CA)] agreed on spending levels for the government... Now a small group of extreme Republicans don’t want to live up to the deal...”
• McCarthy plans to take a final run at passing FY24 spending bills before pivoting to a last-minute Continuing Resolution to prevent a government shutdown.
• It is unclear if McCarthy has the votes to bring bills to the House floor, let alone pass them, and, of course, the FY24 bills will be DOA in the Senate and do little to prevent a government shutdown.
• The Washington Post reports that a discharge petition may offer an “escape hatch” if McCarthy or a group of moderate House Republicans choose to work with Democrats to pass a stopgap, but with conservatives poised to trigger a 'motion to vacate the chair, pursuing such an option could cost McCarthy his job.
• see today's edition of the MNI US Daily Brieffor more analysis.