In a last-ditch effort to prevent a government shutdown, House Republicans are pushing forward with four party-line funding bills this week. However, despite these efforts, the bills are unlikely to pass in the Senate due to the drastic cuts they contain, which Democrats refuse to support. With the deadline for passing appropriations bills quickly approaching on Saturday night, Congress is under pressure to reach a resolution or agree on a short-term deal to extend funding while negotiations continue.

House Speaker Kevin McCarthy has deferred to the majority whip on whether there is enough Republican support to move forward with the debate and final vote on the four funding bills. McCarthy's previous attempts to begin debate on the defense spending bill were twice defeated by far-right Republicans who opposed it. He is now advocating for a measure to extend government funding for 45 days. However, he faces resistance from hard-right Republicans who demand steeper spending cuts and want Congress to negotiate each spending bill individually.

McCarthy's delicate position is further complicated by the fact that he can only afford to lose four votes in the narrowly divided House. If he pursues a bill that could gain Democratic support, he risks being ousted by conservative members of his party who oppose any short-term deal. Despite the challenges, McCarthy believes that a government shutdown would weaken their position and argues for the need to fund the government while passing all appropriations bills.

Meanwhile, Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer has labeled the House's proposed short-term resolution as a "total non-starter" in the Senate. To counter the impasse in the House, Schumer has set up a path for the Senate to advance a House-passed bill reauthorizing the Federal Aviation Administration, which could potentially serve as a vehicle for an overall short-term funding extension. Schumer emphasizes the need for bipartisan cooperation to avoid a shutdown and minimize the impact on the American people.

In an attempt to prevent a government shutdown after the September 30 deadline, the House of Representatives' Rules Committee voted, 9-2, to move four appropriations bills to the full House floor for debate. The committee's action, which took place during a rare Saturday session, establishes the rules for debating the bills covering funding for the departments of Defense, Agriculture, State, and Homeland Security for fiscal year 2024. However, it remains uncertain whether enough Republicans will vote in favor of the rules on the House floor, which must be established before the funding bills can proceed.

The ongoing infighting between far-right and moderate House Republicans has hindered progress in advancing legislation that would keep the government running beyond October 1. With a narrow majority of 221-212, the Republican party can afford very few defections. It is highly likely that a short-term spending bill, known as a continuing resolution, will be necessary to prevent federal agencies from suspending operations when existing funds expire. However, a group of far-right Republicans opposes this approach, believing it endorses excessive government spending.

Instead of pursuing a continuing resolution, House Republicans have prepared four separate full-year spending bills, fully aware that they will be rejected by the Democratic-controlled Senate. Only one of the 12 appropriations bills for the fiscal year has been passed by the House, with the Senate having no plans to consider them. Representative Marc Molinaro, a moderate freshman Republican, states that the goal is to show a good faith effort from both sides of the Republican caucus by advancing as many bills as possible.

House Speaker Kevin McCarthy intends to begin advancing the four bills on Tuesday to gain leverage in negotiations with the Senate. He hopes that these bills will provide enough room to pass a short-term spending bill that would keep the government funded until October 31. However, a few Republicans have expressed opposition to a short-term funding bill, further complicating the situation. The recent failure to advance the defense spending bill, which has broad support from Republicans, underscores the challenges faced by McCarthy in navigating these divisions within his party.

The potential for a government shutdown looms, but Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer has scheduled a procedural vote for Tuesday evening to begin advancing a stopgap funding bill. If this vote is successful, McCarthy would need to decide whether to bring it up for a vote in the House, which could risk backlash from the conservative flank of his party. Such a move could potentially lead to an attempt to remove McCarthy from his speakership, exacerbating the already chaotic situation in the House.

The specter of a government shutdown is reminiscent of former President Donald Trump's tenure, during which the government closed three times. Trump, currently the frontrunner for the Republican nomination in the 2024 presidential election, has publicly supported a shutdown in the past. However, the outcome is not predetermined, and bipartisan cooperation remains crucial to avoid a shutdown and minimize the impact on the American people.