McConnell: Congress must pass short-term spending bill

Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell on Tuesday indicated that Congress would need to pass a short-term funding bill to avert a government shutdown and allow time for congressional negotiators to hammer out the remainder of the yearly appropriations bills.

Congress last year approved a two-step continuing resolution to split the deadlines to complete the twelve annual appropriations bills, setting dates of Jan. 19 and Feb. 2, though the Kentucky lawmaker insisted lawmakers would likely need additional time and need to extend those deadlines.

"Obviously we’re going to have to pass a CR," he said, according to The Hill.

A move in the Senate to postpone the deadlines could potentially set up a showdown with House Republicans, including Speaker Mike Johnson, who previously insisted he would not back another continuing resolution after the initial two-step measure in November.

Johnson, on Sunday, announced a a top-line spending deal on Sunday, claiming to have agreed to $1.590 trillion in spending, though the House Freedom Caucus insisted the plan would cost billions more and slammed the proposal as a "total failure."

Ben Whedon is an editor and reporter for Just the News. Follow him on X, formerly Twitter.