The shutdown clock is ticking on Capitol Hill as lawmakers look to fund the government by the looming March 14 deadline, an effort that has thus far been unsuccessful as the two parties trade blame over who is responsible for the delay.
“We are working hard to do our responsibility to keep the government open,” Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) said on NBC’s “Meet the Press” on Sunday.
The scramble to keep the lights on in Washington — which is expected to pick up in urgency this week — comes as President Trump is set to deliver his first major speech before Congress, an address that is taking place amid a moment of high polarization sparked by some of the president’s controversial efforts and comments related to domestic and foreign policy issues.
The president’s speech is scheduled to begin on Tuesday at around 9 p.m.
On the Senate side, the upper chamber is poised to confirm Linda McMahon to be the next secretary of Education, as Trump looks to dismantle the department. And the Senate is set to vote on legislation that seeks to bar transgender athletes from participating in girls’ and womens’ sports.
The top focus on Capitol Hill this week will be funding the government and averting a shutdown, as lawmakers race the clock to keep the lights on in Washington before the March 14 deadline.
