Republicans' Last-Ditch Effort to Prevent Government Shutdown

In a race against time, U.S. Republicans made a third attempt to avoid a government shutdown, facing internal dissent and bypassing Democrats' support. Failure to pass a spending package could lead to nationwide disruptions. The GOP aims to separate issues like funding, disaster aid, and the debt ceiling in votes.

In a critical 11th-hour move, Republicans in the U.S. Congress scrambled to pass a third proposal to prevent a government shutdown, having failed to secure agreement on previous plans due to internal disagreements and external pressures, notably from President-elect Donald Trump. Representative Ralph Norman confirmed the plan's imminent vote but withheld details.

GOP members, including Representative Nancy Mace, signaled no intention to engage Democrats for support needed to circumvent a funding lapse set to occur by midnight Friday. This impasse threatens pay for millions of federal employees and could disrupt nationwide services from law enforcement to airport operations, especially during the busy holiday travel period.

Sources indicated that the White House is preparing federal agencies for a potential shutdown. As Republicans consider unbundling contentious issues such as the debt ceiling, disaster relief, and farm aid in separate votes, bipartisan agreement remains elusive. Previous packages collapsed amid harsh criticism, reflecting deep party divides and external influence from figures like Trump and Elon Musk.

(With inputs from agencies.)