In a high-stakes ballet of budgetary brinkmanship, Speaker Mike Johnson and House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries have begun a delicate dance over extending government funding beyond the looming September 30 deadline. Last week's discussions could push the deadline to November or December, aiming to sidestep a potentially catastrophic government shutdown.

During a private conversation that was later shared by three anonymous sources, Johnson proposed a short-term stopgap to Jeffries. This measure would maintain government operations until a more comprehensive budget agreement can be reached, thereby averting an immediate fiscal crisis on October 1.

The backdrop to these discussions was a closed-door meeting on Tuesday in Johnson's office, where senior Republicans deliberated over the impending deadline. "The question was raised several times, and there is no plan yet," revealed one insider about the session. Johnson himself has been working to rally GOP consensus on the duration of the stopgap, indicating that internal agreement is still in the works.

Meanwhile, House Majority Leader Steve Scalise hinted at ongoing discussions with Appropriations Chair Tom Cole (R-Okla.) about a broader bipartisan funding deal. However, the clock is ticking with just four weeks left until the government potentially runs out of money.

On the other side of the aisle, Jeffries, after a general conversation with Johnson, underscored the urgency of commencing formal negotiations among congressional leaders. He firmly stated, "I also made clear we’re not going to support partisan funding legislation, period."

The feasibility of passing a short-term Continuing Resolution (CR) by the end of September was questioned. Texas Rep. August Pfluger, chair of the Republican Study Committee, optimistically noted, "It’s been done before."

This isn't the first rodeo for House Republicans under Johnson's leadership. Earlier this spring, they successfully passed a full-year CR, compelling Senate Democrats to accept a GOP-crafted bill they initially opposed to avoid a shutdown.

Scalise remains hopeful about reaching a bipartisan agreement, expressing "complete confidence in Chairman Cole and his ability to find willing participants on the other side."

As both parties pirouette around a potential fiscal cliff, the coming weeks will reveal whether Congress can choreograph a compromise or if partisan politics will lead to a legislative deadlock and a government shutdown.