As the House of Representatives returns to session this week, concerns over a potential government shutdown are escalating. The progress on budget negotiations has been minimal, and the deadline for government funding expiration is approaching on Sept. 30.

If all 12 appropriations bills are not passed by both chambers of Congress and signed by President Joe Biden in less than a dozen working days, a government shutdown will be triggered. This would result in furloughed workers, closed agencies, and the jeopardy of essential programs.

White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre emphasized the importance of Congress fulfilling their promise to the American people and avoiding a government shutdown.

The parties are deeply divided, with Republicans seeking significant spending cuts that are unlikely to pass in the Democratic-controlled Senate. To prevent a funding gap during the negotiations, the White House proposed a short-term continuing resolution to maintain current funding levels.

The House Freedom Caucus, comprised of the most conservative Republicans, aims to cut spending for the fiscal year 2024 to $1.47 trillion. This amount is approximately $120 billion less than what Biden and House Speaker Kevin McCarthy agreed upon in May during their previous budget discussions. However, this demand is not acceptable to the White House and Senate leaders, including Minority Leader Mitch McConnell.

McConnell described the budget negotiations as a “pretty big mess” and predicted the passage of a continuing resolution.

While the Senate may have bipartisan support for a short-term stopgap funding bill, the situation is more complicated in the House. Freedom Caucus Republicans oppose passing the continuing resolution without concessions on border funding and any money allocated to Ukraine.

Furthermore, some hardline Republicans have withheld support unless McCarthy initiates an impeachment inquiry into Biden. McCarthy announced on Tuesday that he would comply with this demand. However, the specific allegations of high crimes and misdemeanors against Biden remain unclear.

McCarthy faces a challenging position as he must consider the needs of every member in his caucus, including the hardliners within his slim ten-person majority. McCarthy warned his caucus that a government shutdown would negatively impact the impeachment process.

Representative Ken Buck stated that impeachment should only proceed if there is evidence linking President Biden to a high crime or misdemeanor, which does not currently exist. He emphasized the importance of following the facts and making decisions based on evidence.