2 weeks ago
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House speaker faces early vote on government spending bill that could make shutdown more likely if it fails to pass
Good morning, US politics live blog readers. We’re 12 days away from the US government shutting down when its funding runs out on 1 October, but in the House of Representatives, Republicans are consumed with infighting and an agreement’s prospects are highly uncertain. The split is between House speaker Kevin McCarthy and a group of the most conservative lawmakers – many of whom prevented him from becoming the chamber’s leader for weeks at the start of the year, and remain bitter over a deal he negotiated with Joe Biden in May to raise the debt ceiling while cutting some spending. McCarthy is trying to get House Republicans to vote on a bill that will fund the government for a few weeks while cutting some spending and further enforcing security at US borders, but the rightwing lawmakers refuse to support it. Nonetheless, the House is expected to today take an early vote on the measure – and if it fails, the odds of a shutdown will creep ever higher.
Here’s what else we are watching today:
Joe Biden is in New York City for the United Nations general assembly, and we have a live blog covering all the day’s speakers, including Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskiy.
Donald Trump is trying to use his mug shot to boost support among Black voters, who typically vote Democratic, but there’s no evidence yet his strategy is working, Axios reports.
Jake Sullivan, the national security adviser, shared a photo of the five detained Americans and two family members released by Iran yesterday, as they flew home to the United States.
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