GOP Readies Stopgap Budget Bill

In a bid to avert a government shutdown once again, House GOP leaders are readying a stopgap budget bill that will keep Washington running until a longer-term spending plan can be negotiated. But it comes with a catch: The weeklong bill would cut $12 billion from federal outlays. Speaker John Boehner reportedly told his caucus that he would seek to pass the bill—what would be the third stopgap measure—only if it seemed necessary to avoid a shutdown. The previous two temporary budget bills have cut a total of $10 billion—numbers that are keeping the conservative Tea Party happy for now. The proposal may not be very palatable for Democrats, but Republicans will include money essential to keep the Pentagon running, so it will be hard for the president’s party to reject the measure.