GOP seeks to avoid, for once, the shutdown trap

House GOP leaders are racing to pass a stopgap funding measure, seeking to avoid the kind of government shutdown that has brought them pain in the past.

The stopgap measure would fund the government from Oct. 1 through Dec. 4, buying lawmakers time to complete the annual appropriations process.

What’s unusual is that the House GOP is trying to pass the measure in July, just before it is set to begin its annual summer recess next week, instead of waiting until September.

By moving the bill now, the GOP might avoid headlines about an approaching shutdown and drama and pressure as some lawmakers look for leverage.

“The September deadline isn’t changing, but how Congress plans for it can,” House Appropriations Committee Chair Tom Cole (R-Okla.), a veteran of more shutdowns than he’d probably like, said in a statement.

“This bill takes partisan politics and posturing off the table, denying anyone the opportunity to manufacture leverage from the calendar before elections,” he said.

It’s uncertain if the effort will succeed, though Republicans are hopeful they’ll be able to move the measure this week in the House.

The bill’s prospects in the Senate are up in the air, as it remains unclear whether the upper chamber will take up the legislation before its own August recess. Senators will stay in Washington for an additional two weeks before leaving for their break.

Republicans have repeatedly taken political black eyes over shutdown fights, most recently earlier this year. Both sides have political reasons to avoid a shutdown in........

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