Democrats Face Looming Deadlines to Avert Government Shutdown, Raise Debt Limit

(L) Then-Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) and (R) House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) walk to speak to reporters after meeting with White House officials at the U.S. Capitol in Washington on Aug. 7, 2020. Alex Wong/Getty Images

Returning from their Thanksgiving break, Democrats in Congress have challenges ahead of them as the nation inches toward a Friday deadline to avert a government shutdown and a Dec. 15 deadline to raise the debt ceiling.

The first hurdle for Democrats to vault in their first week back will be to avert a government shutdown, which will come on Dec. 3, Friday, if a continuing resolution or stopgap funding bill is not passed to continue to fund the government.