House Republicans in Disarray: The Rising Risk of a Government Shutdown

The risk of a government shutdown spiked on Thursday as House Republicans left town for the weekend without passing a funding bill, amid a revolt from hard-right lawmakers who are demanding cuts to spending. Congress has until October 1st to pass a funding bill to keep the government running. If they fail to do so, it will result in a partial government shutdown, which would furlough hundreds of thousands of federal employees and close many essential services. House Speaker Kevin McCarthy has been struggling to get his Republican caucus on the same page on a funding bill. He has faced opposition from both moderates, who want to avoid a shutdown, and hard-right lawmakers, who are demanding cuts to spending, particularly on social programs. On Thursday, McCarthy failed to pass a rule that would have allowed debate to begin on a defense spending bill. The measure was defeated by a vote of 216-212, with five Republicans joining Democrats in opposition. The defeat of the rule was a majo