President Donald Trump warned Wednesday that a government shutdown was possible this weekend.
With money for federal agencies running out at midnight on Friday, Republican leaders plan to push a bill through Congress this week financing the government through Dec. 22.
That would give bargainers time to work through their disagreements. But it would be another stop gap effort and they will need Democratic votes to succeed.
Democrats have been using their leverage to insist on spending boosts for health care, infrastructure and other domestic programs that would match increases Republicans want for defense.
But the minority party is also seeking an agreement to extend protections for hundreds of thousands of immigrants who arrived in the U.S. illegally as children.
Will they meet in the middle and avoid the shutdown? Or will partisanship get in the way of agreement?
Stan Veuger is resident scholar at the American Enterprise Institute and specializes in political economy and public finance.
