Congress faces a crucial budget deadline in four days, and there is still no obvious way to prevent a partial government shutdown at the last day of the week

The package has not yet been unveiled, despite lawmakers’ hopes to share the language of a bipartisan spending agreement Sunday evening. There are still high-level policy differences because House Speaker Mike Johnson, a Republican from Louisiana, is facing tremendous pressure from his right flank to support conservative victories.

Senate Democrats expressed their annoyance and aggravation on Monday as the deadline approaches and the likelihood of a shutdown increases. Numerous Democrats also chastised House Republicans over the standoff.

Why are these people acting this way? As Senator Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts told the media’s Manu Raju, this is what Congress is meant to be doing in its entirety. Republicans are currently unable to muster the organization necessary to approve even the most basic of tasks. This is really absurd.

Sen. Jon Tester, a vulnerable Democrat from Montana who is running for reelection this year, expressed his fury about a potential shutdown in remarks to CNN.

“It better not be,” he informed Raju. We carry out this every six months. This is untrue. It’s all nonsense. Thus, we must continue to support the government as we were elected to do and refrain from shutting it down.

Senator Joe Manchin, a Democrat from West Virginia, declared, “I swear to God, we can’t even get our act together, and it is terrible what is going on, and all of the games that are taking place right now with the citizens of this country and all the people that are dependent on the help of the federal government.”

The Democratic majority leader in the Senate, Chuck Schumer of New York, stated in a Sunday “Dear Colleague” letter that “intense discussions” are currently taking place with Johnson and other important senators regarding the possibility of a shutdown.

Schumer attributed the delay to disarray within the House Republican conference, stating, “It is evident now that House Republicans require additional time to sort themselves out, even though we had hoped to have legislation ready this weekend that would allow members to review the text.”

Johnson responded to Schumer’s critique of the House GOP on social media later on Sunday. The House has worked tirelessly and is still working in good faith to come to an understanding with the Senate on acceptable government funding legislation ahead of the deadlines, notwithstanding the unproductive rhetoric in Leader Schumer’s letter.

A partial shutdown, according to Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, would be “harmful to the country” and is “entirely avoidable” if the House and the Senate can cooperate.

McConnell also stated, “We’re going to not let the federal government to shut down,” to reporters gathered at the Capitol.

For Avoid a Partial Shutdown

Congress enacted a short-term funding package in January, but now faces two deadlines for shutdowns: March 1 and March 8.

Tuesday, as the White House increases pressure on Congress to approve more funds for Ukraine and in advance of the deadline for a partial government shutdown, President Joe Biden will bring together the top four congressional leaders.

The House isn’t going back to Washington, DC, until Wednesday, so senators won’t have much time before the deadline on Friday, which is drawing near.

To avoid a partial shutdown, the Senate would need to quickly move any measure before the deadline with the approval of all 100 senators.

When the Senate will take up the articles of impeach against Alejandro Mayorkas, a secretary of homeland security who was impeached this month by House Republicans, is a major uncertainty hanging over this week’s agenda.

When the articles will be forwarded from the House to the Senate is still unknown. The timetable is being discussed between the two chambers, but no decision has been reached yet, a source familiar with the discussions told CNN.

Johnson has limited options in the House because of his historically small majority and his more aggressive right flank. The dispute over government money is expected to escalate tensions even more.

Hardline conservatives have rebelled against the speaker’s topline agreement with Schumer to set spending close to $1.66 trillion overall, as well as the chamber’s previous passage of legislation providing short-term funding.

Also Read: ICE says Georgia Student killing Suspect Entered the US Illegally