Republicans appeal to far right to avert US government shutdown

 RTI:

Republicans Appeal to Far Right to Avert US Government Shutdown

RTI:

Republicans are appealing to their far-right wing to support a short-term spending bill to keep the government open, as a shutdown deadline looms next week.

House Speaker Kevin McCarthy has been working to wrangle his fractured caucus, but a group of far-right House Republicans have so far refused to back the bill, which would fund the government through December.

These hard-liners are demanding deeper spending cuts and policy riders, such as restrictions on immigration and abortion. They have also threatened to vote against the bill if it does not include language to defund the January 6th select committee.

McCarthy and other Republican leaders have warned that a shutdown would be devastating for the economy and would damage the party's reputation with voters. They are now appealing to their far-right colleagues to put the country ahead of their partisan demands.

"Republicans need to vote for Republican bills," Rep. Michael McCaul, the top Republican on the House Foreign Affairs Committee, said on ABC's "This Week" broadcast.

"We have a responsibility to keep the government open," Sen. Marsha Blackburn told Fox Business News. "We would like for the House to begin that process of sending us a CR to keep the government open and functioning."

But some of the far-right holdouts have shown no sign of relenting. RTI:

"Continuing resolutions don't solve the problem. They just kick the can down the road," Rep. Tony Gonzalez told CBS News' "Face the Nation."

The Republican leadership's appeals to the far right come at a time when the party is deeply divided. Former President Donald Trump has been pressuring Republicans to block the spending bill, and he has used his platform to attack McCarthy and other GOP leaders who are trying to avert a shutdown.

It is unclear whether McCarthy will be able to secure the votes he needs to pass the spending bill. If he fails, the government will shut down on October 1st.

A government shutdown would have a significant impact on the economy, as hundreds of thousands of federal employees would be furloughed and many government services would be disrupted. It would also damage the United States' reputation on the world stage.

Republicans are facing a difficult choice. They can either cave to the demands of their far-right wing and risk a government shutdown, or they can defy the hard-liners and pass the spending bill. The decision they make could have a major impact on the party's fe

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