Congress Averts Government Shutdown as House Republicans Reach Stopgap Spending Deal

House Republicans have unveiled their own short-term government funding package in an effort to reach a bipartisan deal and avoid a government shutdown. The package, known as a continuing resolution, would fund the government through October and is the result of negotiations between the party’s conservative Freedom Caucus and its more moderate Main Street Caucus.

The legislation includes a House-passed border security package, but it faces opposition from Senate Democrats and the White House. However, it is expected to kick-start negotiations between the two parties and prevent a shutdown.

While the bill would leave funding levels for the Departments of Defense and Veterans Affairs untouched, it proposes cuts for other agencies, reflecting frustration among Republicans about the federal deficit.

House Speaker Kevin McCarthy is working to gather Republican support for the bill without needing Democratic assistance, amid threats to remove him as speaker from members like Rep. Matt Gaetz of Florida. However, the deal has already faced pushback from some members of the Freedom Caucus.

McCarthy has previously indicated that a stopgap funding measure would likely be necessary until December as congressional appropriators finalize a year-long budget.