On the brink of a government shutdown, the Senate tries to approve funding but it's almost too late

[Dulcinea]

WASHINGTON (AP) — The United States is on the brink of a federal government shutdown after hard-right Republicans in Congress rejected a longshot effort to keep offices open as they fight for steep spending cuts and strict border security measures that Democrats and the White House say are too extreme.

With no deal in place by midnight Saturday, federal workers will face furloughs, more than 2 million active-duty and reserve military troops will work without pay and programs and services that Americans rely on from coast to coast will begin to face shutdown disruptions.

The Senate will be in for a rare Saturday session to advance its own bipartisan package that is supported by Democrats and Republicans and would fund the government for the short-term, through Nov. 17.

https://apnews.com/article/government-shutdown-mccarthy-congress-republicans-732baaa19c91f981e492fd0e6a76aba8

[bucolic_frolic]

1. It's McCarthy vs. Gaetz and neither has the power to pass anything

Freedom caucus could depose McCarthy, then elect their own if they can but expect 15, 25, 35 ballots. We could be without a Speaker for months. Or they could agree to moderate their ideas just to get a deal, and then rinse and repeat the whole budget mess. I am not seeing a way out of this impasse.