Congress nears a partial spending deal, but ticking clock raises fears of a shutdown

WASHINGTON — Congress is running out of time to keep the government open, with senators in both parties warning that they will likely need to pass another short-term funding bill to prevent a partial shutdown this weekend.

“We’ve just had obstacles every step of the way,” said Sen. Jeanne Shaheen, D-N.H., a member of the Appropriations Committee, cautioning that House Republican demands for certain policy changes are “not realistic” and holding up the process.

Shaheen said another stopgap bill is “part of the discussion” as funding legislation still has not been released and House GOP leaders have promised to wait 72 hours before a vote takes place to let members read it, leaving little time. The Senate will then need unanimous consent to pass it speedily — no sure thing.

Funding for the parts of the government including the Departments of Agriculture, Veterans Affairs, Transportation, Energy and Housing and Urban Development is set to expire at the end of Friday. Other departments, including the Departments of Justice, Labor and Health and Human Services, have a March 8 deadline and face more contentious funding battles.

A White House meeting between President Joe Biden the top four congressional leaders Tuesday yielded some optimism that they were moving toward agreement on a funding package to keep open parts of the government facing the March 1 deadline.

Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., told reporters Tuesday that top negotiators were “working in good faith” and “quite literally around the clock” to resolve their differences.

“We’re very optimistic,” he said. “We believe that we can get to agreement on these issues and prevent a government shutdown. And that’s our first responsibility.”

Before a lunch meeting with