Republican tempers flare as US House weighs bill to avert shutdown

Representative Kevin McCarthy has been accused of assaulting a fellow Republican as the House braces for a vote on a short-term spending bill.

Representative Tim Burchett of Tennessee said the former House Speaker "elbowed" him in the back while he stood in the halls of Congress.

"He's a bully with $17m and a security detail," Mr Burchett, a right-wing Republican, said.

Mr McCarthy told reporters the physical contact was accidental.

Mr McCarthy's office did not return a request for comment.

The stopgap measure, expected to come to the floor late Wednesday, would keep all federal agencies open at current spending levels through mid-January.

Mr Johnson, a conservative Republican from Louisiana, must rely on Democrats to secure the two-thirds majority needed to pass the bill. Members of the right-wing Republican Freedom Caucus have already announced their opposition to the plan.

The vote is planned for 16:20 local time (21:20 GMT).

Mr Johnson's bill to keep the government funded past 17 November is an unconventional two-tier proposal.

Parts of the government would be funded until a January deadline, while some others would be funded up to early February, under the bill. The staggered deadlines are intended to give lawmakers time to work out longer-term spending bills and also to delay debate over wartime aid to Ukraine and Israel.

To keep the government from shutting down, both the House and the Democratic-majority Senate must pass the plan and get it to President Joe Biden to sign into law by midnight on Friday. Otherwise, tens of thousands of federal employees could be furloughed without pay as soon as next week and various government services would be abruptly suspended.

Mr Johnson's continuing resolution is a so-called "clean" bill with no spending cuts, policy provisions or other strings attached.

That same type of measure led to the historic removal of Mr McCarthy, who worked with Democrats to keep the federal government open.

Mr Johnson's plan appeared on Tuesday morning to have tentative Democratic support, with top House Democrat Hakeem Jeffries saying he was "carefully evaluating" Mr Johnson's plan.

But, just like Mr McCarthy, Mr Johnson is facing pushback from the far right of his own party.

"I will not support a status quo that fails to acknowledge fiscal irresponsibility, and changes absolute nothing while emboldening a do-nothing Senate and a fiscally illiterate president," Representative Scott Perry of Pennsylvania and leader of the Freedom Caucus wrote on social media platform X.

The Republican party has been consumed by chaos for nearly two months, after eight right-wing Republicans - including Representative Burchett - voted to oust Mr McCarthy from his post.

According to Mr Burchett, Tuesday's run-in was the first time he had spoken to Mr McCarthy since voting against him last month.

Recounting the incident to reporters, Mr Burchett said he ran after the former Speaker.

"As he [Representative McCarthy] always did, he just denies it or blames somebody else," Mr Burchett said.

Representative Burchett said he would not be pressing charges.

"It's over as far as I'm concerned," he said. "I pray for him and hope he finds some happiness in his life."