LAST MINUTE

Senate GOP Gauges Support for Stopgap

To prevent shutdown.

Mitch McConnell and fellow Senate Republicans are reportedly assessing whether they can shore up enough support for a stopgap measure that would delay the looming government shutdown. Meanwhile, President Obama still believes a government shutdown can be averted before midnight. After a meeting with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu Monday, Obama said he’s “not at all resigned” to a government shutdown and that he plans to speak to congressional leaders in hopes of coming to some sort of resolution, if only House Republicans would cooperate. “The Senate has passed a bill that keeps the government open, does not have a lot of extraneous issues to it, allows us to then negotiate” a longer term budget, he said.