McCarthys Plan to Avoid a Shutdown Hits Stiff G.O.P. Opposition
The New York Times Republican leaders were hoping to pass the combination of spending cuts and border controls to show they were working to forestall a shutdown and pressure the Senate, but the bills prospects looked grim.
Speaker Kevin McCarthys bid to gain the upper hand in a battle over federal spending hit stiff opposition from within his own ranks on Monday, leaving him with dwindling options and little time to find his way out of a spending impasse that could lead to a government shutdown in less than two weeks.
Roughly a dozen Republicans made it clear that they were staunchly opposed to the proposal unveiled on Sunday, which combines a stopgap spending measure with steep funding cuts and new border controls, indicating they could not be induced to change their votes through leadership pressure. The measure had little chance of passing the Democratic-controlled Senate, but Mr. McCarthy, who has made it clear he is desperate to avoid a politically damaging shutdown, has promoted it as a way to pressure the other chamber to come his way on spending.
