Congress returns with the clock ticking to avert government shutdown, fund U.S. disaster response

Key Points

• The U.S. government will shut down at midnight on Sept. 30 if Congress fails to pass spending legislation.
• The White House and the leadership of the House and Senate support a stopgap measure to keep the government running.
• But far-right Republicans want to attach conditions that include a crackdown on undocumented immigration and a vote on an impeachment inquiry into President Joe Biden.
• The Federal Emergency Management is also running low on money as the agency responds to multiple natural disasters.
• The White House has asked for separate funding to bolster FEMA's disaster relief fund.

An American Flag on the U.S. Capitol Building is seen in Washington, August 31, 2023.

Kevin Wurm | Reuters

A deeply divided Congress returned Tuesday from a monthlong summer vacation with the clock ticking to pass spending legislation to avoid a government shutdown and boost U.S. emergency response funding following multiple natural disasters.