Democratic and Republican congressional leaders were engaging in a game of shutdown chicken Thursday, the day before the House’s expected vote on a seven-week stopgap bill due Sept. 30 to prevent a lapse in federal agency funding.

House GOP leaders were feeling good about their odds of getting the bill through their chamber Friday morning, although they still had a little work to do on their side shoring up concerns about added member security funds in the continuing resolution being too skimpy, at $30 million.

House Democratic leaders were trying to project an image of unity against the bill, though it wasn’t clear that opposition in their caucus would be unanimous.

The chief sticking point continues to be the fate of expanded tax credits for purchasing health insurance on federal and

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