McCarthy privately outlines new GOP plan to avert shutdown, setting up clash with Senate

House Speaker Kevin McCarthy privately outlined to members a new GOP plan to keep the government open on Wednesday after a marathon two-and-a-half-hour GOP conference meeting.

The California Republican later told reporters that Republican negotiators made "tremendous progress as an entire conference," following days of GOP infighting and less than two weeks before a government funding deadline.

"We are very close," McCarthy said Wednesday evening when asked specifically what progress had been made on the GOP short-term bill. "I feel like just got a little more movement to go there," he added of the new GOP plan. When asked specifically about the topline numbers, he wouldn't get into details but said: "We're in a good place."

The plan, as outlined by the speaker, would keep the government open for 30 days at $1.471 trillion spending levels, a commission to address the debt and a border security package. Separately, they also agreed to move year-long funding bills at a $1.526 trillion level. That level is below the bipartisan agreement that the speaker reached with the White House to raise the national debt limit.

The levels are also far lower than what senators from both parties and the White House are willing to accept, meaning it's unclear how such a deal would avert a government shutdown. With just 10 days left to fund the government, the new plan sets up a standoff with the Senate over how to keep the government open.

As part of the deal, Republicans now believe they have the votes to move forward on the yearlong spending bill that five conservative hardliners scuttled just Tuesday.

GOP Rep. Mike Garcia of California said after Wednesday evening's conference meeting there is now "a little more clarity" on the path forward.