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Congress scrambles to finalize a short-term bill with shutdown deadline days away

Congress is currently in a rush to pass a short-term funding bill to avert a government shutdown as the deadline approaches, with only days left before the current funding expires. The urgency stems from the need to keep government operations running smoothly, particularly as the U.S. faces multiple international crises. House Speaker Mike Johnson has proposed a "laddered" continuing resolution (CR) that would extend funding for some government agencies until January 19, 2024, and others until February 2, 2024. This approach has met with mixed reactions; while some Republicans support it, others, including conservative factions, oppose it, preferring individual spending bills over a CR. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer has expressed openness to this plan, but there's skepticism about its passage in the Senate due to the need for a supermajority to expedite the process. Additionally, the proposal lacks the deep spending cuts demanded by some House Republicans, complicating negotiations further. The situation is compounded by the need to address President Biden's $106 billion supplemental funding request for aid to Ukraine, Israel, and border security, which has not been included in the CR discussions.

Read the Full NBC News Article at:
[ https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/congress/congress-scrambles-finalize-short-term-bill-shutdown-deadline-days-awa-rcna183432 ]