Race Against Time: McCarthy's Intensive Weekend Efforts Fall Short with Shutdown Looming

House Speaker Kevin McCarthy revealed on Saturday that he is faced with a challenge as several conservative GOP members are not on board with approving a Republican interim measure. This lack of support makes it highly probable that a government shutdown will occur within the next week, with the deadline looming.

"I have been dedicated to passing a continuing resolution for quite some time," McCarthy expressed. "I am grateful for the diligent efforts of fellow members who have worked tirelessly on this. However, there are still a few individuals who refuse to vote in favor of funding the government until all twelve bills are completed. I find their stance difficult to comprehend."

With the September 30 deadline looming, there remains no strategy in place to prevent a shutdown. McCarthy, a representative from California, was anticipating that the forthcoming discussion of a few appropriations bills, scheduled for next week, would convince enough undecided individuals to back the GOP's continuing resolution.

When questioned about the possibility of a government shutdown, McCarthy maintained that there is still sufficient time available.

On Tuesday, Sept. 19, 2023, the US Capitol in Washington, DC, US, was photographed by Al Drago/Bloomberg via Getty Images. House Republicans introduced a continuing resolution this week to avoid a government shutdown scheduled to commence on Oct. 1.

Al Drago/Bloomberg/Getty Images

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"No, listen, that's on the 1st. We still have several days left," he informed reporters at the Capitol.

President Joe Biden commented on the imminent shutdown deadline during the weekend, urging House Republicans to "begin fulfilling their responsibilities."

Speaking at the Phoenix Awards Dinner of the Congressional Black Caucus Foundation on Saturday, Biden emphasized that it is crucial for Congress to fulfill its fundamental duty of funding the government. He urged Republicans to step up and fulfill the responsibilities they were elected to carry out, stating that it is high time for them to do so.

In a conference call on Saturday afternoon, McCarthy urged members of the Republican party to unite around a temporary spending bill that incorporates funding for border security. This approach would enable House Republicans to establish a starting point for negotiations with the Senate.

However, facing opposition from hardliners who are against any temporary spending resolution, the effort to pursue that path has proven to be challenging. After the call, several Republicans criticized the hardliners, accusing them of obstructing the party's strategy.

According to Louisiana GOP Rep. Garret Graves, "Despite the tireless efforts made by myself and numerous other Republican members of Congress, both inside and outside of this room, to bring these bills to the floor for a vote as soon as possible, our endeavors have been frustrated. This is despite the dedicated work put in by our entire leadership team, including the speaker of the House, majority leader, whip, and others."

McCarthy expressed on Saturday that he is confident that the time constraint will weaken the resistance, which can be seen as a risky approach considering the importance of every vote and the absence of several members.

"I believe that now certain members are starting to feel the weight of the approaching deadline," McCarthy stated.

"I believe that when it reaches a critical moment, individuals who have been avoiding taking responsibility and pointing fingers at others will, hopefully, finally step up. The consequence of shutting down and leaving border agents and the Coast Guard without payment is not something that I consider to be a triumph," he expressed.

This report includes contributions from CNN's Philip Wang.