House Speaker Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif., said Friday he thinks it's still possible to push forward a partisan short-term stopgap in the House bill next week.
"We got members working, and hopefully we'll be able to move forward on Tuesday to pass these bills," McCarthy told reporters at the Capitol.
He signaled his preference for avoiding a closure, but a hard-right flank of his House majority has effectively seized control.
"I still believe if you shut down, you're in a weaker position," he said. "You need the time to fund the government while you pass all the appropriations bills."
The House is not expected back until Tuesday, leaving just five days to resolve a standoff before the Sept. 30 deadline, the end of the fiscal year.
McCarthy faces immense pressure for severe spending cuts from a handful of hard-right conservatives in his caucus, essentially halting his ability to lead the chamber.
Many on the right flank are aligned with Donald Trump — the Republican frontrunner to challenge President Joe Biden in the 2024 election — and opposed the budget deal the speaker reached with Biden earlier this year and are trying to dismantle it.
McCarthy's attempt to restart his stalled spending agenda failed Thursday when Republican defectors for a third time blocked a procedural vote on defense spending, raising the risk of a government shutdown in just 10 days.
The House of Representatives voted 216-212 against beginning debate on an $886 billion defense appropriations bill expected in the House of Representatives, with six hardline Republicans voting against the bill.
McCarthy said Friday he "will continue to work with people. I just believe if you're not funding the troops and you're not funding the border, pretty difficult to think that you're going to win in a shutdown. I've been through those a couple of times."
Information from the Associated Press was used in this report.
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