House Speaker Kevin McCarthy faced a significant defeat as the House failed to advance a stopgap bill to extend government funding beyond Saturday, increasing the likelihood of a government shutdown. McCarthy is currently embroiled in a conflict with hardline conservatives who argue for passing full-year spending bills instead. Despite hopes that border security provisions included in the temporary measure would sway the hardliners, it was not enough to secure their support.
With Congress at an impasse, the federal government is preparing for a shutdown when government funding runs out at midnight on Saturday. McCarthy has vowed not to negotiate with the Senate on a short-term spending bill, stating that he wants to fight for border security and keep the government open. House Republicans are expected to discuss next steps in a closed-door meeting.
The speaker's refusal to say whether he would try to cut a deal with Democrats has raised speculation about a potential ousting from the speakership. McCarthy responded by saying he still has time to explore other options if the stopgap bill fails.
The potential shutdown could have significant impacts across the country, affecting areas such as air travel and clean drinking water. While essential services would continue, many government operations would come to a halt.
House GOP leaders attempted to show conservatives that they are working in good faith by passing several spending bills, but these measures would not prevent a shutdown and are unlikely to pass in the Senate. Meanwhile, the Senate is working on a bipartisan stopgap bill that would keep the government open through November 17 and provide additional aid to Ukraine and disaster relief. McCarthy has dismissed this bill.
If GOP Senator Rand Paul follows through on his promise to slow down the process, it could take until Monday to pass the Senate's bill, surpassing the Saturday evening shutdown deadline. Additional developments in this story have been updated.
In summary, the failure to advance a stopgap bill has increased the likelihood of a government shutdown, with House Speaker Kevin McCarthy facing significant challenges to his leadership. The conflict between hardline conservatives and House GOP leadership continues, with no clear resolution in sight. The potential impacts of a shutdown are significant, and there are ongoing discussions between the House and Senate to find a bipartisan solution.