As Congress reconvened after their routine summer break, there was nothing to suggest what many Washington insiders and pundits have believed all along: a federal government shutdown will happen. “The questions flying around the Capitol come in two categories. Top of mind are the logistical ones: When will the government shut down? And for how long?” Philip Elliott wrote for TIME.
The critical issue is the passage of a short-term spending bill to stave off the looming government shutdown scheduled for October 1. House Speaker Kevin McCarthy, caught in the crossfire of a political maelstrom, finds himself in a most precarious position. According to CNN, during a recent private conference call, the Speaker urged his colleagues to support a short-term spending deal to avert an impending shutdown. He proposed postponing the larger funding fight until later in the fall, a strategy that some view as prudent to ensure the government continues to function.
