By Howard Schneider

WASHINGTON, Dec 10 (Reuters) – The U.S. Federal Reserve is expected to cut interest rates on Wednesday as policymakers grapple with gaps in economic data caused by the recent government shutdown and work through competing views about the risks facing the economy.

The anticipated quarter-percentage-point cut may well come with a non-committal or even hawkish approach to next year’s rate path given the division among policymakers between those skeptical about the need for more rate reductions in the face of ‍still-elevated inflation and those who feel the economy and job market may weaken if the U.S. central bank doesn’t bring down borrowing costs.

New quarterly economic projections to be released alongside the latest rate decision will show how Fed officials expect th

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