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House GOP eyes stopgap into November to avert shutdown

House GOP leaders are aiming to pass a stopgap spending bill this week that funds the government through Nov. 20, GOP sources told The Hill, as lawmakers face an end-of-the-month shutdown deadline.

© Greg Nash

Text of the continuing resolution (CR) has yet to be released, though Republicans have said it will largely be “clean.”

House leaders face a tight time crunch to pass the plan by the week’s end, with lawmakers scheduled to leave Washington next week for the Rosh Hashanah holiday.

The strategy, however, sets up a showdown with Democrats who have called for any stopgap to include major concessions on health care as a condition of their votes.

That is raising the likelihood of Republicans having to pass the CR in the House without relying on Democratic votes, before daring Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) to reject the measure and head to a shutdown, as they did in March.

But first, GOP leaders must contend with their slim majority in the House, where GOP leaders can only afford to lose two votes if all Democrats vote no.

President Trump is also urging Republicans to unite against what he called “Radical Left Democrat demands” and pass a “clean” CR.

The Hill's Emily Brooks and Aris Folley

© The Hill