A partial government shutdown could happen next week. Here's what you need to know

The next week in Congress will be consumed by efforts to keep the lights on as Congress — for the third time in the past year — is running up against a funding deadline that could lead to a government shutdown.

With each looming deadline, the stakes grow higher and the politics more winding.

Here's a quick catch up on where we are, and what's at stake, a Friday's funding deadline looms.

This upcoming funding deadline is unlike others we've seen because there are two different looming deadlines. This is because of the way House Speaker Mike Johnson crafted the last short-term bill that has been funding the government since mid-November.

The government is funded through 12 individual spending bills. When Congress needs more time to pass them, they often use a stopgap measure to bump back the expiration deadlines for all 12 of those bills.

But in November, Congress split them up.

So, on Friday, Jan. 19, funding will run out for programs under four of the 12 bills: Agriculture, Energy and Water, Military Construction-Veterans Affaifs, and Transportation-Housing and Urban Development.

If Congress doesn't act to extend funds for those four bills by Friday, there will be a partial government shutdown.

Programs under the other eight bills, including defense spending, are currently slated to run out of funds two weeks later, on Feb. 2.

This Congress, Republicans made it a goal to try to return the government funding process to regular order by passing the 12 appropriations bills individually. They've missed their deadline to do it twice, and are coming up on a third.

As was the case with the last two funding deadlines, the four bills that are running out of funds aren't ready to be voted on yet, and Congress won't be able to pass them