Friday "deadline" is approaching! The U.S. government is once again facing a shutdown crisis, and Republican leaders are optimistic

This week, the U.S. Congress is facing an urgent challenge: to avoid a government shutdown before Friday. If Congress fails to pass a Continuing Resolution (CR) to temporarily address funding issues, the U.S. government will face the risk of another shutdown. Despite the urgency, Republican leaders remain optimistic, with House Speaker Mike Johnson stating that the Continuing Resolution "is moving forward and nearly complete." Meanwhile, House Majority Leader Steve Scalise also mentioned that an agreement is "about to be finalized" and hopes to see the bill text today. However, given the long-standing bipartisan disagreements over budget issues and the current complex political environment, whether an agreement can be reached before the deadline remains uncertain. One of the focal points of contention is whether to extend the existing agricultural bill for another year, which includes providing economic assistance to farmers. The initial plan was to reallocate some funds from the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) to provide direct assistance to farmers. However, House Speaker Mike Johnson opposed this, fearing that touching IRA funds would upset former President Trump, who has made it clear that he intends to repeal the IRA legislation and has prioritized it as one of his first actions upon taking office. The Democrats see an opportunity and have taken the chance to propose several demands, including that the federal government fully cover the reconstruction costs of the Francis Scott Key Bridge in Baltimore and reach a trade agreement allowing Haitian apparel and textiles to enter the U.S. market duty-free. In addition to the budget bill, the prospects for several other important bills are also unclear. A comprehensive healthcare agreement remains unresolved, involving the reorganization of pharmaceutical benefit management organizations, extending the flexibility of Medicare telehealth, and reauthorizing the SUPPORT Act, which was enacted in 2018 to address the opioid crisis. Speaker Johnson faces immense pressure to seek a balance between the Democrats and Republicans to facilitate the passage of the budget bill. Johnson is also pressed for time; if Congress plans to release the funding bill draft today, the House will not vote until Thursday, following the 72-hour review rule. This leaves the Senate with very limited time to perform its famous "magical" operations and send the bill to President Biden for signing at the last moment. Additionally, Johnson has been working to avoid the occurrence of "Christmas tree" legislation, which is filled with various demands from interest groups and is often rushed through at the end of the year. Johnson hopes to push the temporary budget through by garnering Democratic support, but this could also trigger rebellion within the Republican Party, leading to intense debates and mutual accusations in Congress. Meanwhile, Senate Republicans and Trump oppose a government shutdown, believing that a smooth transition to 2025 should be prioritized, thus they are more inclined to avoid a government shutdown at this moment