Senate Moves On CR, McCarthy Frames Govt Shutdown Around Border Policy

Two dynamics emerged yesterday in the race to prevent a government shutdown on Sunday. The Senate voted to advance a Continuing Resolution to fund the government through mid-November and House Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) indicated he plans to frame the debate around border security and deflect from internal GOP battles over spending.

• The Senate CR includes USD$6b for Ukraine but no additional funds for border security. Senator Rand Paul’s (R-KY) blanket opposition to Ukraine aid means the Senate CR is unlikely to come up for a vote before government funding expires.
• Punchbowl News writes, “right now, it seems exceedingly likely that the federal government is going to shut down this weekend. Full stop.”
• Beyond framing the debate around border security, McCarthy attempted to draw the White House into negotiations: "All the president has to do is call us up. Let's go sit down and get this done before the end of the week.”
• Biden is highly unlikely to negotiate again with McCarthy over spending. He said earlier in this week: “We made a [debt limit spending] deal. We shook hands… Now they're reneging on the deal.”