Government shutdown: Senate leaders reach deal on short-term spending bill in push to avert shutdown
Government shutdown: Senate leaders reach deal on short-term spending bill in push to avert shutdown
The Senate has introduced a bipartisan stopgap bill in an effort to avoid a government shutdown. The bill would provide funding until November 17 and includes $6.2 billion in aid for Ukraine. However, conservative Republicans in the House are against sending additional aid to Ukraine and believe it should be a separate bill. House Speaker Kevin McCarthy stated that Ukraine funding should not be included in a short-term spending package. The Senate’s bill will need to be passed by the chamber and then sent to the House for consideration.
Conservative Republicans oppose Ukraine funding in stopgap bill
Many conservative Republicans in the House are against including $6.2 billion in aid for Ukraine in the stopgap bill. They believe that Ukraine funding should be a standalone bill and not part of a short-term spending package. House Speaker Kevin McCarthy stated that the issue of Ukraine should be dealt with separately, possibly through a supplemental bill. This opposition from conservative Republicans could pose a challenge to passing the stopgap bill and averting a government shutdown.
House Speaker McCarthy remains noncommittal on stopgap bill
House Speaker Kevin McCarthy has not made a firm commitment on whether he will bring the Senate’s stopgap bill to the floor for a vote. McCarthy stated that he would need to review the bill and consider the concerns of conservative Republicans who oppose the inclusion of Ukraine funding. The decision on whether to move forward with the stopgap bill will have significant implications for avoiding a government shutdown, and McCarthy’s stance remains uncertain.
