WASHINGTON, D.C. - A possible government shutdown is becoming a greater threat as the US House of Representatives was unable to move forward with spending bills. The October 1 deadline is just hanging over congress. 

On Wednesday, the House planned on voting for a defense spending bill. It’s typically one of the easiest appropriations bills for each chamber to agree on but intraparty fighting among republicans is growing in the House and keeping them from moving forward with not only that bill but the other necessary spending bills. Members in the House are ending their work for the week without a vote on any spending bill or a short term funding bill, while over in the Senate, they’re moving a mini package of three spending bills with large bipartisan support.  

On top of the October first deadline to finalize these bills or else there will be a government shutdown, Speaker of the House Kevin McCarthy is facing his own set of challenges. Some of the House far right republicans are issuing their own demands. Some are even embracing a shutdown. That’s something Pennsylvania Congressman Mike Kelly (R- PA) said should not happen.  

“I know some people are talking about shutting down the government,” said Rep. Kelly. “I think it’s the worst thing we could do in a world that is so unstable right now to be looking internally that we have that kind of division we have to fund what we already spent, what we can do are make little adjustments that over a long period of time can bring that down but our debt is out of control right now. I think it’s 33 trillion dollars which is totally unimaginable.” 

Congressman Kelly hopes his republican colleagues who are pressuring Speaker McCarthy to work in the sphere he has to work in and hopes there can be some resolution to this.