The U.S. government is facing a potential partial shutdown in just three days, as the Democratic-controlled Senate plans to vote on a short-term spending measure that Republican House Speaker Kevin McCarthy has rejected. The House is voting on amendments to appropriations bills that have no chance of becoming law, and even if they did, would not prevent a shutdown. To avoid furloughs and service disruptions, legislation must be passed by midnight Saturday. House Republicans are demanding additional spending cuts and tougher border control legislation. There is intense pressure on McCarthy, with hardliners threatening to remove him from his leadership role if he passes a spending bill with any Democratic support.

The Senate’s proposed funding measure would extend spending until November 17 and includes funds for domestic disaster response and aid to Ukraine. It received strong bipartisan support in an initial procedural vote. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer urged McCarthy to follow suit and pass a bipartisan resolution, while urging McCarthy to stop allowing the far-right faction to drive his decisions. Credit agencies have warned that political polarization and brinkmanship are damaging the US financial outlook, with the possibility of a shutdown affecting the country’s credit rating. Most of Congress, including many Senate Republicans, has rejected the House Republicans’ attempts to focus the shutdown on the border with Mexico.

However, the House is expected to vote on its own short-term funding measure that includes border measures likely to be rejected by the Senate. This keeps the risk of a shutdown high. Representative Henry Cuellar, a conservative Democrat, criticized the outdated strategies in the bill and emphasized the need to address migration issues. As the deadline approaches, the pressure is on for Congress to come to a resolution and avoid another shutdown that could have significant economic and political consequences.

In conclusion, as the deadline for a potential shutdown of the US government approaches, the Democratic-controlled Senate plans to vote on a short-term spending measure that has been rejected by Republican House Speaker Kevin McCarthy. House Republicans are demanding spending cuts and tougher border control legislation, adding pressure on McCarthy to meet their demands. Credit agencies have warned that a shutdown could harm the country’s credit rating. Most of Congress, including Senate Republicans, has rejected the focus on border issues. The risk of a shutdown remains high as the House plans to vote on its own funding measure that includes provisions likely to be rejected by the Senate. The urgency to reach a resolution is increasing as the deadline looms.

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