Scramble to avoid shutdown, Afghanistan testimony, 'Britney vs. Spears': 5 things to know Tuesday

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·4 min read
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Congress scrambles to avoid shutdown after GOP senators block funding bill

Democratic leaders are continuing to scramble Tuesday in efforts to avoid a government shutdown and default after Senate Republicans blocked debate on extending funding for the federal government and raising the debt limit. The Senate voted 48-50 to begin debate on the measure the House already passed. Sixty votes were needed to overcome a Republican filibuster. The bill would have extended government funding to Dec. 3 and suspended the debt limit until Dec. 16, 2022. The measure also would have provided $28.6 billion for disaster assistance and $6.3 billion for Afghan refugees. Democrats must now find another way to keep the government operating and the country borrowing. Without a funding extension, the federal government will shut down Friday.

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The Obama presidential center expected to finally break ground after pushback

The Obama Presidential Center is expected to break ground Tuesday amid years of pushback. Former President Barack Obama and former first lady Michelle Obama are expected to be in Chicago for the ceremony at 1:15 p.m. CT. Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker and Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot are also expected to attend. The $500 million center, designed by architects Todd Williams and Billie Tsien, will be in Jackson Park on the city's South Side and consist of a museum, forum, public library, plaza, playground and pedestrian and bicycle paths. Several local groups, including park preservationists and a coalition of community organizations, have raised concerns about the project for years.

Pentagon officials to testify before Congress on Afghanistan withdrawal

Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman Gen. Mark Milley, Defense Secretary Lloyd J. Austin III and U.S. Central Commander Gen. Kenneth McKenzie will appear before the Senate Armed Services Committee on Tuesday and the House Armed Services Committee Wednesday in their first public testimony since the Taliban took control of Afghanistan. Lawmakers on both sides of the aisle have criticized the Biden administration’s handling of the Afghanistan withdrawal last month, putting an end to a 20-year war. Lawmakers will specifically grill Milley on allegations from a new book that he assured China the U.S. would not launch a nuclear strike in the aftermath of the 2020 presidential election. The line of questioning will also include what happened with the Afghanistan drawdown and the suicide bombing that killed 13 U.S. service members and more than 169 Afghans near Kabul's Hamid Karzai International Airport on Aug. 26.

Gen. Mark Milley, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, testifies on Capitol Hill on June 23, 2021.
Gen. Mark Milley, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, testifies on Capitol Hill on June 23, 2021.

DHS to publish proposed rule to 'preserve and fortify' DACA

The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) will publish a proposed rule Tuesday that would "preserve and fortify" the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program, also known as DACA. The proposed rule would re-create the DACA policy as it was announced in 2012 by then-Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano. The memorandum called for the DHS to exercise “prosecutorial discretion” for young children who came to the USA illegally, also known as "Dreamers." A DHS notice of the proposed rule said: “DACA recipients should not be a priority for removal.” The move comes months after a federal judge in Texas ruled the program illegal and halted its acceptance of applications. The judge ruled DACA violated the U.S. Constitution because it undermines Congress’ authority on immigration laws. The Biden administration appealed that ruling.

'Britney vs. Spears': Netflix releases conservatorship documentary

Another Britney Spears documentary is heading to a streaming service. "Britney vs. Spears," directed by Erin Lee Carr, will hit Netflix Tuesday — the day before the pop star's next hearing on her conservatorship. "This is a two-and-a-half years-long investigative process into the conservatorship," Carr said. "We wanted to be the definitive place to understand the beginning, middle and hopefully what we will find out as the end of this saga." On Sept. 7, Britney Spears' father Jamie Spears filed a petition to end his daughter's conservatorship that he has controlled at least in part for the last 13 years. However, Judge Brenda Penny, the probate judge who oversees the case, will have the final say. Britney Spears has been vocal on social media about her personal life recently, announcing on Sept. 12 that she was engaged to Sam Asghari, her boyfriend of more than four years.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Britney Spears documentary, government funding, DACA rule: 5 things to know Tuesday