WASHINGTON (NEXSTAR) — Another deadline to avoid a government shutdown is steadily approaching.
“We’re working earnestly on that,” House Speaker Mike Johnson said.
Johnson said his party is determined to avoid a government shutdown.
“I believe all Republicans want to get to the same end,” Johnson said.
GOP lawmakers, like Rep. Don Bacon (R-Ne.) and Rep. Jen Kiggans (R-Va.) said they support the speaker’s goal.
“I’d probably do a straight CR [continuing resolution] through to January or late January,” Bacon said.
“We’re looking at all the options, but we can’t shut down the government and we have to fully fund the military,” Kiggans said.
But Rep. Pete Aguilar said Republicans are wasting time with bills that cut programs that Americans rely on.
“These are bad policy bills. We should be talking about that in addition to what the Republican plan is in the next 10 days to fund government,” Aguilar said.
Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) said the only way forward is for Congress to push through a bipartisan solution.
“If Republicans inject partisanship, into otherwise bipartisan priorities, that is only going to make it harder to avoid a shutdown,” Schumer said.
Sen. Bob Casey (D-Penn.) agrees and urged House Republicans to follow the example from Senate Republicans.
“Support a bipartisan effort to fund the government and to make these critical investments that we have in the supplemental,” Casey said.
