Blunt: Government Shutdown 'inevitable'

House Minority Whip Roy Blunt (R-Mo.) on Tuesday became the latest Republican to predict a government shutdown this fall when Congress and the White House spar about the size of an annual spending package that is assured to eclipse President Bush's request. 

"It is inevitable," Blunt said. 

The Senate isn't expected to take up most of its annual spending bills by the start of the new fiscal year, Oct. 1; this would create a logjam that would force Congress to approve a stopgap measure in order to consider a massive omnibus spending package to fund the federal government. 

Despite sagging approval ratings, Bush is expected to veto any package that exceeds his initial request to the Congress. Republicans on the Hill would then be forced to sustain that veto.