House Democrats challenge McCarthy to vote on Senate bill to avoid government shutdown

House Democratic leaders are challenging Speaker Kevin McCarthy to bring the Senate’s bipartisan continuing resolution to the floor for a vote, indicating the measure would pass with a majority of Republicans in favor.

The Senate advanced a stopgap spending bill on Tuesday evening that would temporarily fund the government until mid-November while providing additional aid to Ukraine and disaster relief without any border funding — prompting hard-line conservatives to predict it won’t go anywhere in the House. However, Democrats are singing a different tune, indicating there may be underlying support from centrist Republicans that could push the legislation past the finish line.

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“Let’s be very specific: He doesn’t feel it has 218 Republicans, that’s all he ever cares about,” said Democratic Caucus Chairman Pete Aguilar (D-CA). “If he doesn’t think it has the votes, he should put it on the floor. But my guess — I would defer to [Democratic Whip] Katherine Clark — but I’m guessing north of 315 votes that measure would have to avoid a shutdown.”

The comments come just days before federal funding is set to lapse with no spending plan finalized in either the House or the Senate, making it increasingly likely the government will shut down just after midnight on Sunday.

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McCarthy is pushing to vote on a GOP-led continuing resolution in the House on Friday that would set a top line for a continuing resolution at $1.471 trillion and included H.R. 2, the House’s border security bill, and a fiscal commission to look at how to reduce the government’s debt. However, at least nine Republicans voiced their opposition to the continuing resolution last week and over the weekend, making it unlikely to pass the lower chamber without Democratic support.

As a result, some centrist Republicans have entered into talks with Democrats for a possible bipartisan deal — which could pose a challenge to McCarthy, whose speakership is being threatened by some on his right flank if he attempts to work with those on the other side of the aisle.