McCarthy seeks to ward off GOP uproar on spending stopgap

The normally routine task of passing a stopgap measure to fund the government after Sept. 30 could pose unique challenges for Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) as he tries to ward off a conservative revolt and prevent a shutdown. Conservatives are not yet saying they'll flatly oppose a short-term funding patch, known as a continuing resolution (CR), as they push to secure sharp spending cuts in next year's appropriations bills. But such an extension, by keeping spending at current levels, would defy the hard-liners' demands for aggressive deficit reduction in fiscal 2024. And some are already warning against the CR strategy…