courtesy: NBC news
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House Speaker Kevin McCarthy struggled to bag votes to pass a last-ditch stopgap bill to extend government funding, as Congress remained on track on Friday.
Federal government has been trying to continue the government funding pass Saturday but with Congress at impasse, the government is scrambling to prepare for a shutdown.
This marks one of the toughest challenge faced by McCarthy. He risks provoking a major confrontation with hardline conservatives if he tries to push the bill for a one-month funding extension, while they argue that the Congress should rather focus on passing the bill for a full-year spending. It has been expected by the House GOP that the border security provisions, which has been termed as temporary expense, will force the hardliners’ hands.
Despite of such measure being passed, the spending levels and border measures are likely to be doomed in the Democratic-controlled Senate way.
House GOP leaders are uncertain regarding the votes they have to win the key procedural vote on Friday morning to take up the stopgap bill. This is because all the Democrats are expected to vote against the bill, and four conservative Republicans might also go against it, as they stand contrary to McCarthy’s plans, as per two GOP sources.
The vote is scheduled for 11.30 am E.T. If it’s adopted, the House will vote on final passage of the stopgap bill at 1.15 pm.