Congress Returns Amid Looming Government Shutdown Threat

WASHINGTON, Sept. 2 - Congress reconvened Tuesday under intense pressure to avert a potential federal government shutdown at the end of the month, with lawmakers and the White House locked in a high-stakes standoff over spending levels and executive authority.

The deadline to fund the government is Sept. 30. With Congress facing fewer than four weeks to negotiate, both parties acknowledge that passing a continuing resolution to extend current funding levels is the most likely scenario, given the time constraints and the difficulty of completing all 12 appropriations bills by the deadline.

Despite repeated calls from Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer for bipartisan talks, House GOP leaders have yet to engage Democrats in substantive negotiations over restoring cuts to Medicaid and rural hospitals in exchange for funding the government. Schumer condemned the White House’s recent unilateral “pocket rescission” of $4.9 billion in foreign aid as “unlawful,” warning it undermines efforts to reach a bipartisan agreement.

Senator Susan Collins (R-Maine), chair of the Senate Appropriations Committee, likewise criticized the rescission maneuver, stating that rescinding appropriated funds without Congressional approval is a “clear violation of the law”. Meanwhile, conservative Republicans such as Rep. Chip Roy (R-Texas) insist that overall spending must remain flat or decrease in any deal.

Complicating the funding battle is a renewed bipartisan push led by Reps. Thomas Massie (R-Ky.) and Ro Khanna (D-Calif.) to compel the Justice Department to release all court documents related to Jeffrey Epstein’s prosecution. The lawmakers plan a Capitol Hill press conference Wednesday featuring survivors of Epstein’s abuse, aiming to force a floor vote on a discharge petition if Speaker Mike Johnson does not voluntarily bring the measure forward.

With no clear path to consensus on overall spending caps, and with the White House unwilling to concede on restricting presidential authority over budget rescissions, Capitol Hill appears headed toward at least a short-term funding patch-and possibly a shutdown if talks fail to materialize in time. Shock waves from this confrontation may reverberate through the midterm elections, as both parties position themselves to assign blame should a shutdown occur.