Republican US Congress aims to pass stopgap bill to avoid government shutdown

By David Morgan and Nolan D. McCaskill

WASHINGTON (Reuters) – Republicans who control the U.S. Congress will try on Friday to pass a stopgap funding bill to avert a government shutdown that would otherwise begin October 1, over the objections of Democrats who are pushing their own funding legislation.

The bill, known as a continuing resolution or CR, would keep federal agencies operating at current levels through November 21, while providing $88 million to protect members of Congress, the executive branch and the Supreme Court from the threat of political violence in the aftermath of conservative activist Charlie Kirk’s assassination.

But the task of getting the legislation through Congress and onto Republican President Donald Trump’s desk before current funding runs out at midnight on