High Noon in Washington

With noon in Washington fast approaching on Saturday, Sep. 30, there was still no sign of a breakthrough on divisive issues In Congress that threaten not only a government shutdown but US support for Ukraine.

According to CNN, House Speaker Kevin McCarthy has mounted a last-minute push to avert the lapse in funding.

He “announced that the House will vote on a 45-day short-term spending bill Saturday, and it will include the natural disaster aid that the White House requested.”

A shutdown, CNN explains,” is expected to have consequential impacts across the country, from air travel to clean drinking water, and many government operations would grind to a halt – though services deemed essential for public safety would continue.”

“The Senate’s bipartisan bill would provide additional funds for Ukraine aid, creating a point of contention with the House where many Republicans are opposed to further support to the war-torn country.

McCarthy argued on Friday that aid to Ukraine should be dropped from the Senate bill. “I think if we had a clean one without Ukraine on it, we could probably be able to move that through. I think if the Senate puts Ukraine on there and focuses on Ukraine over America, I think that could cause real problems,” he told CNN’s Manu Raju.”