Host Jim Niedelman gets into the politics at play in a shutdown of the federal government.

It’s possible federal lawmakers reached a deal to prevent it by the time you’re reading this on Sunday. This program is recorded and at the moment there’s no deal.

The one place where we’ve seen bipartisanship with the intent of avoiding a shutdown is the U. S. Senate.

Senators agreed to a continuing resolution to keep paying the bills until mid November, with a goal of reaching a deal on a long-term spending plan by then.

That momentum stops there.

Hard-line Republicans won’t give Speaker of the House Kevin McCarthy the green light on the Senate’s measure.

So far McCarthy hasn’t shown a willingness to go along with a moderate proposal to satisfy Democrats. That could put his job at risk with conservative Republicans.

Almost all the lawmakers you hear from on Capitol Hill say they don’t want the federal government to shut down. But the threat is real and the clock is taking.

Jim NIedelman talked about this Wednesday with Illinois Congressman Eric Sorensen.

“We need a government that works for the people again,” Sorensen said. “This cascades all the way down to our food safety to railroad safety.”

To hear what else Congressman Sorensen has to say, click on the video.

Local 4 News, your local election headquarters, is proud to present 4 The Record, a weekly news and public affairs program focused on the issues important to you.  It’s a program unlike any other here in the Quad Cities. Tune in each Sunday at 10:30 a.m. as Jim Niedelman brings you up to speed on what’s happening in the political arena, from Springfield, Des Moines, Washington, D.C. and right here at home.