OnPolitics: Can Kevin McCarthy walk a tightrope to avoid a government shutdown?

Hello OnPolitics readers! Remember Kevin McCarthy’s bid to become House speaker, which sparked emotional, late night debates and lasted 15 rounds of votes? What about his push to pass the essential annual defense policy bill?

Despite all of that, he’s about to face his biggest test yet.

When Congress returns to Washington from its summer recess next month, lawmakers will have only three weeks to either pass 11 spending bills or buy themselves more time to avoid a government shutdown, Paste BN’s Ken Tran reports.

Seems simple, right? With a handful of ultra-conservative members eager for broad spending cuts, it’s unclear if Congress will be able to keep the government funded. Plus, those members have been threatening his speakership since day one.

📝A GOP wishlist: The House can’t just pass a list of Republican demands to keep conservative lawmakers happy. That legislation would be dead on arrival in the Democratic-controlled Senate and the White House, so McCarthy will have to figure out a path to satisfy his base while negotiating across the aisle.

Keep reading: Can Kevin McCarthy unite Republicans to avoid a government shutdown? He's facing his biggest test yet

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