GOP-led Congress races to avert government shutdown ahead of Friday deadline

The path to averting a government shutdown at the end of the week remains murky in the Republican-controlled Congress.
WASHINGTON — The path to avert a government shutdown at the end of the week remains murky in the Republican-controlled Congress.
Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., is eyeing a House vote Tuesday on a six-month funding extension that was crafted on a partisan basis. His strategy is to rely on only Republican votes to pass it in the House and dare Democrats to oppose it.
If it passes the House, where a simple majority is needed, the legislation will require 60 votes in the Senate, meaning at least seven Democrats would need to back it to break a filibuster.
Democratic senators overwhelmingly reacted negatively to the measure Monday, saying the House shouldn't count on their votes for a bill they weren't involved with.
Johnson expressed confidence to reporters Monday that the stopgap funding measure would pass both chambers of Congress.
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