Monday, September 18

©  The Hill/Greg Nash

The House Rules Committee is taking up House Republicans’ short-term spending bill this afternoon. It’s the first step on the bill’s path to the House floor, where its passage is not a sure bet. 

The measure, known as a continuing resolution (CR), would extend government funding past the Sept. 30 expiration date through Oct. 31. It includes spending cuts and several of the GOP’s desired border policies. 

The bill is seen as dead on arrival in the Democratic-controlled Senate. But getting this particular stopgap signed into law may not be the end goal.

The Hill’s Emily Brooks and Mychael Schnell explained that “the bill is meant to show a united front among House Republicans and be an opening offer in negotiations to keep the government open past Sept. 30 — echoing the conference’s strategy from earlier this year revolving around the debt ceiling increase.”

The bill was negotiated by leaders of the conservative House Freedom Caucus and members of the Main Street Caucus, which describes its members as pragmatic conservatives. 

But if the presentation of a united GOP is the more limited goal of this CR, it may fall short. The Hill’s running whip list shows that, according to statements from several House Republicans, there’s not enough party-line support in the chamber to pass the CR. Check out the whip list here.

More coverage from The Hill: Here’s what’s in Republicans’ proposed deal to prevent a shutdown

Welcome to Evening Report! I’m Amee LaTour, catching you up from the afternoon and what’s coming tomorrow. Not on the list? Subscribe here.

Massachusetts became the first state to ban the purchase of single-use plastic bottles by state agencies, Gov. Maura Healey (D) said.

Rep. Jennifer Wexton (D-Va.) announced she won’t seek reelection following a progressive supranuclear palsy (PSP) diagnosis.

©  AP Photo/Paul Sancya

It’s Day 4 of the United Auto Workers‘s (UAW) strike at three factories amid contract conflict with the “Big Three” automakers:

Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen said on CNBC’s “Squawk on the Street”: “I think it’s premature to be making forecasts about what it means for the economy. It would depend very much on how long the strike lasts, and exactly who’s affected by it.” Read more on that here

UAW President Shawn Fain said on MSNBC’s “Morning Joe” that the White House won’t be involved in negotiations: “This battle is not about the president. It’s not about the former president, or any other person prior to that.” Read more here

Two international leaders in the U.S. for the United Nations General Debate met with Elon Musk on Monday to discuss matters involving the tech billionaire relevant to their nations.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan made his case to Musk, CEO of Tesla, for building the next Tesla factory in Turkey. Musk also met with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in a livestreamed conversation about antisemitism on X, formerly known as Twitter, which Musk owns.

Check out The Associated Press‘s backgrounder on the UN’s meeting this week.  

A new Harvard CAPS-Harris Poll shows President Biden trailing both former President Trump and former U.N. Ambassador Nikki Haley by 4 percentage points each in hypothetical matchups.

Biden outperformed Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis by 4 points and former Vice President Mike Pence by 6 points.

Matchups with Sen.
Tim Scott (R-S.C.) andVivek Ramaswamy were closer. 

The poll used a representative online sample and didn’t include a probability confidence interval.

©  AP Photo

Five Americans detained in Iran have been released in exchange for the Biden administration granting clemency to five Iranians convicted of nonviolent crimes. The deal also includes allowing the transfer of $6 billion in Iranian funds to be used for humanitarian purposes.

Citadel CEO Ken Griffin, one of the biggest individual donors of the 2022 election cycle, isn’t sold on any of the 2024 presidential primary candidates yet.

“Look, if I had my dream, we’d have a great Republican candidate in the primary who was younger, of a different generation, with a different tone for America,” Griffin told CNBC’s Sara Eisen. “And we’d have a younger person on the Democratic side in the primary, who would have his message for our country.” Read more here.

The Sunday service at The Violet Crown City Church in north Austin, Texas, featured a different kind of sermon this weekend — one generated with the help of ChatGPT. More from KXAN in Austin, Texas, here.

“Virginia’s elections are a bellwether for conservative policy nationwide” — Svante Myrick, president of People For the American Way. (Read here)

“A year after Mahsa Amini’s death, America’s Iran policy is status quo” — Sahar Soleimany, a research associate at the American Enterprise Institute focusing on the Middle East. (Read here)

9 days until the next GOP debate.

12 days until the government funding deadline.

Tuesday: President Biden delivers remarks to the U.N. General Assembly in New York City. 

Wednesday: Biden participates in bilateral meetings with Netanyahu and Brazilian President Lula da Silva.

Thursday: Biden and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky are scheduled to meet at the White House. The Congressional Hispanic Caucus Institute holds its 46th Annual Awards Gala and Leadership Conference.

Friday: Oral arguments are scheduled in New York Attorney General Letitia James‘s (D) case against former President Trump and the Trump Organization.

There a story you think should be getting more attention? Something people should be talking about? Drop me a line: ALaTour@thehill.com

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