As GOP wrestles with spending deal, will House Democrats come to their aid?

As House GOP leaders scramble to finalize a spending agreement, Democrats appear to be lurking in the shadows in case Republicans need to extend a hand across the aisle to avert a government shutdown.

Republican members of the Problem Solvers Caucus are set to meet with House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY) on Wednesday to discuss a possible bipartisan deal on government spending, according to Rep. Don Bacon (R-NE). The conversation comes as spending bills in the House have stalled due to disagreements within the GOP conference just nine days before a government shutdown.

“I'm a voice that you got to start working across the aisle,” Bacon said. “You got to anyway because you gotta get the Senate on board.”

The House shot down a vote to begin debate on the annual defense appropriations bill on Tuesday after five Republicans joined all Democrats in sinking the measure, including Reps. Ralph Norman (R-SC), Dan Bishop (R-NC), Andy Biggs (R-AZ), Ken Buck (R-CO), and Matt Rosendale (R-MT). The final vote was 212-214, falling short of the majority threshold needed to advance the legislation.

Meanwhile, GOP leaders are also seeking to pass a stopgap spending measure that would avert a government shutdown ahead of the Sept. 30 deadline and give lawmakers 31 extra days to reach a final spending agreement. However, that proposal is also being met with pushback from hard-line conservatives, prompting some centrist Republicans to consider other options.