"Government Funding Leverage: GOP Fears Loom as House Heads Toward 'Nuclear' War"
House Speaker Mike Johnson is working to pass the first four spending bills to avoid a government shutdown next week, but he expressed concern about disunity among House Republicans giving leverage to Democrats. He aims to secure GOP priorities in the bills but faces challenges due to the need for overwhelming support from Democrats and disagreements within his party. Johnson is optimistic about meeting the deadline but acknowledges the possibility of a partial government shutdown. Negotiations are ongoing, with a potential short-term funding extension being considered to buy more time for discussions on the remaining spending bills.