The latest on a government shutdown: Today is the last day for Congress to fund the government. A shutdown will begin at 12:01 a.m. if they do not act. House Republicans failed to pass their short-term spending bill on Thursday in an embarrassing defeat that makes a shutdown more likely. The Senate is still working on a bipartisan bill to keep the government open through Nov. 17. That is expected to pass overwhelmingly, but some Republican opposition means it is unlikely to pass until after the deadline. House Speaker Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif., suggested Friday night that he might be open to the Senate’s bill, but only if they strip out funding for Ukraine. The Senate returns at noon today. No votes are scheduled in the House, but members have been advised to be on Capitol Hill.
https://www.cnn.com/politics/live-news/government-shutdown-deadline-09-30-23/index.html
The Senate is using a procedural tactic called a “live quorum call,” which requires all of the senators to physically go to the floor, to delay their procedural vote on their own version of a stopgap spending bill.
Remember: The Senate has put together its own bipartisan proposal to avert a shutdown — but House Republicans have thrown cold water on that plan, leaving the two chambers at an impasse and the attention on the House GOP.
Key senator comments on House bill: Republican Sen. Rand Paul of Kentucky has vowed all week to slow the voting process beyond the midnight shutdown deadline if a stopgap bill includes funding for the war in Ukraine.
He told CNN on Saturday that he will not slow down the Senate’s consideration of the House GOP’s 45-day spending bill — which, crucially, does not include Ukraine funding — if it passes the House and the Senate takes it up.
This gives lawmakers a path to consider the spending bill very quickly in the Senate, possibly avoiding a shutdown (or at least shortening it), as long as the bill passes the House and Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer brings it to the Senate floor.
Man, back in the day I remember thinking Rand Paul was a kooky motherfucker who never really contributed anything useful; but at the same time, never seemed malevolent.
He’s really shown his true colors as an evil sack of shit.