WASHINGTON (Reuters) -Hardline U.S. House Republicans on Wednesday asked Speaker Mike Johnson to abandon talks with Senate Democrats on bipartisan spending legislation to avoid a government shutdown and instead implement an automatic spending cut agreed to by his predecessor. The ultraconservative House Freedom Caucus, which represents about three dozen of Johnson's 219-212 Republican majority in the House of Representatives, promoted the idea in a letter as congressional leaders rushed to complete legislation to avert a possible partial government shutdown beginning early next month. The hardliners also asked Johnson to update House Republicans on spending talks, claiming that party members were being left in the dark about spending levels and potential policy changes.