Another potential federal government shutdown looms in ten days, and Iowa Senator Chuck Grassley predicts there will -not- be an agreement reached by November 17th, so another stopgap measure will be required to again extend the deadline. Grassley, a Republican, says progress is being made in both chambers.

Mike Johnson was elected as the new House Speaker on October 25th, less than a month after the Senate passed the House stopgap bill to avoid a government shutdown, pushing the deadline to November 17th. Grassley is certain the budget work won’t be finished by then.

During a Radio Iowa interview in late September, Grassley said it was “idiocy” to be going through this process again, with threatened shutdowns, but an accord on spending remains elusive in November.

A government shutdown would impact millions of federal workers, though many others would be forced to work without pay. In the past, they’ve always gotten back pay once the government restarts, but Grassley says there’s no guarantee that would happen.