House GOP Overcomes Setbacks, Advances Key Spending Bills

House Republicans have advanced four conservative spending bills, but the threat of a government shutdown remains as Congress is still far from reaching an agreement on government funding. Even if the House were to pass the bills, they contain spending cuts that make them unlikely to pass in the Senate, where Democrats are working on their own solution. Lawmakers face a deadline of Saturday night to approve funding and keep the government open, and without an extension, federal employees would go without pay and government services could be affected. The Senate has taken steps to pass their own funding extension, putting pressure on House Speaker Kevin McCarthy to avoid a shutdown, but he risks backlash from conservatives if he leans on Democrats for support.