Good morning. It is Saturday, September the 23rd. I'm Ali Velshi, a seemingly irreparable rift between the vast

majority of House Republicans and a small handful of the party's far-right faction is threatening

to bring the government to a standstill. Again, this is not Groundhog Day.

This is the 118th Congress of the United States of America. Preparations for a shutdown have

already begun across the country one week before funding for the federal government runs out

on September 30th at midnight. The White House Office of Management and Budget has already

reached out to leaders

of federal agencies to coordinate with them about what they and their staff can expect if they

are forced to shut down next week. Like the last time the government shut down, which lasted for

35 days from the tail end of 2018 until the first few weeks of 2019, millions of Americans' lives will be disrupted

as various federal services will be shuttered and work will be furloughed and won't be

workers will be furloughed and won't be paid for the duration of the shutdown. Workers who are

considered essential, like border patrol agents, federal law enforcement, and air traffic

controllers will continue working, but also won't be paid until Congress resolves the dispute.

Now, federal employees will be eligible to receive back pay, but an impending shutdown

puts many people in a tough bind, especially those who may be living paycheck to paycheck or who work

as contractors for the government and who won't be eligible for back pay. This is what's at

stake if Congress is unable to pass any sort of short-term or long-term resolution by next Saturday.

It is another stunning and embarrassing episode for this House, which just

returned from a six-week-long recess 11 days ago. Funding the government, boring though it may

sound, is a basic power given to Congress in the Constitution, one of very few powers given

to Congress in the Constitution. The Appropriations Clause,

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