Government Shutdown Looms

The ongoing negotiations in Congress are focused on preventing a government shutdown as time runs out for legislators to agree on a funding plan. House Republicans have proposed a new bill to keep government operations running, which aims to extend funding through March 14. This new proposal comes after a previous bipartisan deal fell apart largely due to the intervention of President-elect Trump, who opposed key provisions included in it, specifically concerning the debt ceiling. The urgency of the situation is emphasized by Speaker Johnson's statement that avoiding a shutdown is a priority and that discussions have now opened up between Republicans and Democrats.