Congress scrambling to avoid government shutdown

Members of Congress scrambled Saturday to avoid a government shutdown, with the Senate pushing a stopgap bipartisan plan that Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) agreed to bring to a vote in the House of Representatives.

The Senate is set to reconvene at 1 p.m. and is expected to pass a new funding agreement that would keep the government open until November 17 and provide $6.15 billion in additional funding for Ukraine and $6 billion disaster for disaster relief.

The House vote will test McCarthy’s narrow 221-212 majority, where hardline conservatives have balked at a short-term bill — and it could lead to a challenge to McCarthy’s speaker.

The cadre of conservatives is led by Florida Rep. Matt Gaetz who have refused to support any funding agreement that did not contain bigger spending cuts.

“Congress must stop governing by continuing resolution and omnibus spending legislation. This corrupt system has placed America atop a $33 trillion debt,” Gaetz told The Post.

House GOP leaders are meeting behind closed doors and additional votes are expected but it’s not clear they can even agree amongst themselves to vote on, according to CNN.

Some ideas being considered are ways to pay for troop pay and flood insurance in the event of a shutdown.

Even if the House passes the bill, the Democratic-majority Senate might not have enough time to vote on it or for President Joe Biden sign it into law before funding runs out at 12:01 a.m. Sunday.

House leaders appear increasingly resigned to at least a brief shutdown, early reports from the meetings indicate.

House Majority Whip Rep. Steve Scalise (R-LA) told his colleagues that there was no path forward for a funding resolution, Punchbowl reported Saturday.

He later told reporters that a 45 day funding package including disaster relief funds could be in the offing — but it would require a number of Democratic votes to get over the finish line.

That would require a bunch of Dem votes

“We are deeply concerned about the impending shutdown,” said Gov. Hochul at an MTA press conference Saturday, calling the looming situation a “ticking time bomb.”

“Here in New York we have almost 20,000 active duty members at risk of not being paid. They too have families to take care of. They are not wealthy people. They don’t have a big bank account to cover for this,” she warned.

With Post Wires