Congress faces tight deadline to avoid government shutdown

Congress has until the end of the month to pass a budget and avoid a government shutdown, but lawmakers have fewer working days than the calendar suggests.

Members of Congress are scheduled to recess for the Jewish holidays during the third week of September, leaving only a handful of working days before the Sept. 30 deadline. Lawmakers will be in session next week, off the following week, and then come back for only two days before the deadline.

That leaves roughly seven working days for negotiators to strike a deal and prevent a shutdown.

The limited timeframe and the swirl of political rumors complicate the process.

News 9's Alex Cameron noted that sorting fact from speculation is part of covering Congress, as rumors circulate quickly but can take days to clarify. "Politics is kind of this crazy art," Cameron said.

As the deadline approaches, federal funding is set to run out at the end of the month if no agreement is reached.