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​​Shutdown Doomsday Prepping: Anxieties, Tough Calls & Polling Questions

The political class has accepted that only a miracle will prevent a shutdown, though there are some scattered Republicans and Democrats who believe that Kevin McCarthy could pull off a Hail Mary.

Everyone who has a basic knowledge of the House is adjusting their behavior in preparation for a shutdown.
Everyone who has a basic knowledge of the House is adjusting their behavior in preparation for a shutdown. Photo: Drew Angerer/Getty Images
Abby Livingston
September 20, 2023

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It’s getting real on Capitol Hill. As the September from hell wears on, each day the specter of a 2023 shutdown becomes more of a reality for people who work on, and with, Capitol Hill. The political class has accepted that only a miracle will prevent a shutdown, though there are still some scattered Republicans and Democrats who suggest, based on his not-pretty-but-ultimately-successful performances during the speaker’s vote and debt ceiling deal, that Kevin McCarthy could pull off a Hail Mary…