The Peace Monument in front of the US Capitol dome in Washington, DC on September 29, 2023. The U.S. government is on the brink of a shutdown as Congress has been unable to pass a short-term funding bill that would keep agencies, programs and other services operating. A small group of conservative GOP lawmakers has insisted on cuts to federal spending that are unacceptable to Democrats in Congress. And if McCarthy tries to end-run them by pushing a stopgap funding package that would be palatable to Democrats in the House, the Californian risks losing his already precarious leadership by triggering an effort by conservatives led by Rep. Matt Gaetz of Florida to remove him as speaker. Congress has until late Saturday night to pass a deal to avoid a shutdown.

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Persons: Kevin McCarthy, Joe Biden, McCarthy, Matt Gaetz Organizations: Washington , D.C, House Republicans, Congress, GOP, Rep Locations: Washington , DC, U.S, Washington ,, Florida