Senate Minority Whip John Thune said Congress may need a continuing resolution into March to keep the government open as lawmakers negotiate longer-term spending legislation.

Thune, the chamber’s number two Republican, called it “unrealistic” to think lawmakers could complete their work by Jan. 19 on the first series of four government funding measures or the Feb. 2 deadline for the rest.

“We ought to allow some time to do some work on the other bills,” Thune told reporters. “The idea that we’re going to get those [initial bills] done in next week or even for that matter by Feb. 2 — which is the second tranche of the second eight bills — I think it’s unrealistic.”

The South Dakota Republican urged his colleagues in the House not to embrace calls to shut down the government.

“We’ve never seen any political or policy advantage or gain come out of a government shutdown, so I’m hoping that we can do everything to avoid that,” he said.

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