Shutdown risk looms as US Congress faces spending, impeachment brawl

A U.S. Capitol Police Officer walks a K-9 dog in front of the Capitol amid talks over government funding, as the threat of an October government shutdown looms on Capitol Hill in Washington, U.S., September 6, 2023. REUTERS/Julia Nikhinson/File Photo Acquire Licensing Rights
WASHINGTON, Sept 11 (Reuters) – The U.S. House of Representatives returns this week for an expected political brawl over spending cuts and impeachment that could paralyze the Republican-controlled chamber, as Congress struggles to avoid a government shutdown.
The House and the Democratic-controlled Senate are due to be in session for about 12 days before funding expires on Sept. 30, leaving little time to agree on a package of 12 appropriations bills that can pass each chamber and win Democratic President Joe Biden’s signature.
The main bone of contention among House Republicans is a demand by roughly three-dozen members of the hardline House Freedom Caucus to cut spending for fiscal 2024 to $1.47 trillion — about $120 billion less than Biden and Republican House Speaker Kevin McCarthy agreed in May.
The White House and Senate leaders — including top Republican Mitch McConnell — have rejected that demand.
That dispute and other hardline demands, including opposition to Ukraine aid and calls for an impeachment inquiry against Biden, could imperil efforts to pass a short-term stopgap, known as a continuing resolution or