Government Shutdown Looms as US House Pushes for Spending Cuts

The Republican-controlled US House of Representatives plans to push for steep spending cuts this week, despite the risk of a partial government shutdown by next Sunday. House Speaker Kevin McCarthy had previously reached a spending agreement with Democratic President Joe Biden to avoid a shutdown, but some members of his own party are demanding steeper cuts that are likely to be rejected by the Democratic-controlled Senate. If Congress fails to provide funding for the new fiscal year starting on October 1, hundreds of thousands of federal workers could be furloughed and various services suspended. McCarthy hopes to pass a stopgap spending bill to avoid a shutdown, but faces opposition from hardline Republicans.