Author

Jennifer Shutt

Jennifer Shutt

Jennifer covers the nation’s capital as a senior reporter for States Newsroom. Her coverage areas include congressional policy, politics and legal challenges with a focus on health care, unemployment, housing and aid to families.

House Speaker Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif., speaks with members of the media in the U.S. Capitol on Sept. 30, 2023 in Washington, D.C.

U.S. House votes to remove Kevin McCarthy as speaker

By: , and - October 3, 2023

WASHINGTON — Dissident Republicans in the U.S. House voted with Democrats on Tuesday to oust Kevin McCarthy as speaker, a historic move that came just nine months after he secured the gavel following days of negotiating with the GOP’s right flank and 15 rounds of voting. It wasn’t immediately clear after the vote how the […]

House Speaker Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif., speaks with members of the media in the U.S. Capitol on Sept. 30, 2023 in Washington, D.C.

Next battle in Congress over Ukraine aid, as Biden presses House speaker for vote

By: - October 2, 2023

WASHINGTON — Republican and Democratic lawmakers are searching for a way to clear more aid for Ukraine, after Congress approved a short-term spending bill that didn’t include any additional money for the country. President Joe Biden on Sunday said that U.S. House Speaker Kevin McCarthy agreed to find the votes needed to pass a supplemental […]

U.S. Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, a Kentucky Republican, speaks with reporters about a stopgap government funding bill inside the U.S. Capitol

Congress clears bill to avert shutdown, with vote promised later on Ukraine aid

By: - September 30, 2023

WASHINGTON — Congress approved a bill Saturday night that would stave off a government shutdown until at least mid-November, though the measure doesn’t include Ukraine aid backed by both Republicans and Democrats. The bipartisan 88-9 vote in the U.S. Senate, just hours before a midnight deadline, took place after the U.S. House earlier in the […]

The U.S. Capitol Building is seen on October 22, 2021, in Washington, DC.

Ditching Ukraine aid, U.S. House in bipartisan vote passes bill to avert shutdown

By: - September 30, 2023

WASHINGTON — The U.S. House approved a bill Saturday that would stave off a government shutdown until at least mid-November, though the measure doesn’t include Ukraine aid backed by both Republicans and Democrats. The bipartisan 335-91 vote to send the bill to the Senate took place with less than 10 hours until funding expired. Senators […]

U.S. House Speaker Kevin McCarthy takes questions from reporters on Friday, Sept. 29, 2023 at the U.S. Capitol.

Government shutdown nears: U.S. House GOP fails to pass one-month spending plan

By: , , and - September 29, 2023

WASHINGTON — A sweeping government shutdown appeared inevitable on Friday, with the U.S. Senate stuck in a procedural holding pattern on its bipartisan stopgap bill and divided U.S. House Republicans unable to pass their short-term spending bill. Both chambers of Congress must approve and President Joe Biden must sign government funding legislation before midnight on […]

The U.S. Capitol in Washington, D.C.

With two days until shutdown, border security package eyed by U.S. Senate GOP

By: - September 28, 2023

WASHINGTON — Republican U.S. senators huddled behind closed doors Thursday, attempting to draft an amendment to the short-term government funding bill that would increase spending on border security and make policy changes. The provision could help nudge U.S. House Speaker Kevin McCarthy to put the broadly bipartisan measure up for a vote in that chamber, […]

U.S. House Speaker Kevin McCarthy speaks to reporters on Sept. 26, 2023, at the U.S. Capitol.

U.S. Senate moves on short-term spending bill in struggle to avoid shutdown days away

By: - September 26, 2023

WASHINGTON — The U.S. Senate is on track to clear a short-term government funding bill in the days ahead, but it wasn’t clear Tuesday if that would happen before the Saturday midnight deadline to avert a shutdown, or if House GOP leaders would put the bill up for a vote in that chamber. U.S. House […]

U.S. House Speaker Kevin McCarthy, a California Republican, speaks with reporters about the debt limit and government funding negotiations outside the Capitol building

Shutdown inches closer as U.S. House GOP fails to pass defense bill, lawmakers exit D.C.

By: - September 21, 2023

WASHINGTON — U.S. House Republicans were unable for a third time Thursday to begin debate on the Defense funding bill, throwing another wrench into Speaker Kevin McCarthy’s leadership tenure. The 212-216 vote that rejected the rule for the $826 billion Defense spending measure was unexpected, coming less than a day after House GOP lawmakers gathered […]

A bicyclist and pedestrians cross in front of the U.S. Capitol

A ‘disaster’ nears: Millions of federal workers’ paychecks would be on hold in a shutdown

By: - September 20, 2023

WASHINGTON — More than 3.5 million federal employees and military personnel — many in the Washington, D.C., area but also scattered across the states and around the globe — are bracing for another partial government shutdown, as U.S. House Republicans struggle to produce a short-term plan to fund the government past the end of the […]

Standing in front of a Jeep Wrangler, President Joe Biden waves to attendees at the North American International Auto Show in Detroit on Sept. 14, 2022.

Automakers’ record profits not shared with workers, Biden says as UAW strike launches

By: - September 15, 2023

WASHINGTON — President Joe Biden dispatched two senior administration officials to Detroit on Friday after the United Auto Workers union began a historic strike against the Big Three auto companies amid a contract dispute. “Over the past decade auto companies have seen record profits, including over the last few years because of the extraordinary skill […]

U.S. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer speaks to reporters in the U.S. Capitol

With two weeks until the money runs out, Congress grinds to halt on spending bills

By: - September 14, 2023

WASHINGTON — Amid rising tensions and an approaching hard deadline, the U.S. House and Senate ended their work week on Thursday without a deal to fund the federal government past the end of the month. House Speaker Kevin McCarthy, who has been struggling to build consensus among the members of his Republican Conference, pledged that […]

An Air Force MQ-9 Reaper fires a missile over the Nevada Test and Training Range at Nellis Air Force Base

Amid government spending fight, U.S. House GOP punts on debating major defense bill

By: - September 13, 2023

WASHINGTON — U.S. House Republicans sidetracked debate on the massive Defense spending bill at the last minute on Wednesday, removing it from the daily schedule just as the chamber gaveled into session. The decision follows public opposition from especially conservative Republicans to advancing any government funding measure in the absence of a written commitment from […]