Will the Us Shutdown the Government Again

WASHINGTON – The federal government might be heading for a shutdown at the end of the week if Congress tin can't agree on a bill to fund the government this week.

Seeking to avoid tough decisions on a spending beak until subsequently the election, Congress punted a key deadline until Fri after passing a nib to proceed the government funded at current levels in tardily September.

Lawmakers have been negotiating a comprehensive beak to fund the regime through the next fiscal yr, but it might not be ready past the end of this week as Republicans and Democrats resolve their remaining disagreements.

Rather than passing a spending nib this week, however, lawmakers are likely to punt the borderline one week farther by voting on a ane-week extension of authorities funding. House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer, D-Doc., announced Monday the House would vote on a one-week extension of funding on Wednesday to "go on government open up while negotiations go along" on government funding.

What are Congress' options?

Congress has several legislative options to avoid a authorities shutdown. They could pass what is known every bit a "continuing resolution," where Congress opts to fund the government at current levels until a certain appointment, boot more hard decisions down the line.

Information technology is possible Congress could concur on a comprehensive funding neb by the end of the calendar week, simply with the Firm scheduled to leave after Thursday and lawmakers indicating work withal remains on a spending bill, it is a less likely outcome.

Sen. Patrick Leahy, D-Vt., the top Democrat on the Senate Appropriations Committee, told reporters Th that he was frustrated by the pace of negotiations, calling information technology "ridiculous" lawmakers had not brought a bill to the flooring even so.

If the Business firm successfully passes a short-term funding extension, the Senate will have to also pass the stop-gap measure. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell said Monday that the chamber would besides vote on the one-week extension this week before information technology goes to President Donald Trump for his signature.

What if the government shuts down?

Government shutdowns have non exactly been rare under Trump. Over his four years in office, the federal government shut downwardly 3 times – including the longest-ever shutdown in modernistic U.S. history.

That shutdown, from December 2018 to January 2019, was 35 days long. It stemmed from a collision betwixt Congress and the White House over funding for a wall along the southern U.South. edge and forced most 800,000 federal government workers to go on furlough or without pay.

If Congress doesn't human activity past Friday, thousands of authorities workers considered nonessential would again be furloughed or forced to work without pay until the shutdown ends. A shutdown would likely have ripple furnishings, affecting everything from air travel to government health agencies handling the coronavirus pandemic.

National parks may close, airport operations could deadening as workers are furloughed, and the paralysis could affect the economy, which has been battered by the coronavirus pandemic. The nonpartisan Congressional Budget Role estimated tax acquirement was down $two billion in 2019 because the IRS had halted some operations during the shutdown.

Could COVID-19 stimulus be office of a spending deal?

Congress and the White Firm have been at an impasse over another coronavirus stimulus parcel for months, but last week, key lawmakers appeared to make concessions in hopes a beak could laissez passer before both chambers go home for the holidays. Leaders in the Firm and Senate have restarted discussions and say the best take chances in passing any relief is by adding it to the almanac spending bill.

Coronavirus relief talks restart:Competing COVID-nineteen relief proposals introduced every bit Congress sprints to pass aid

More than:Competing COVID-19 relief proposals introduced as Congress sprints to pass assist

Simply that would have to happen quickly, considering the House is scheduled to go out town at the terminate of the calendar week.

Both sides have yet to fully agree on a spending deal. Some of the biggest sticking points, according to a Democratic aide, revolve around immigration, as they have in years past – with funding for a wall along the southern edge and immigrant detention beds for Immigration and Customs Enforcement – at the center of the dispute. Another hurdle is possibly calculation linguistic communication on constabulary reform later a summer of protests over the killings of unarmed Black people, including George Floyd in Minneapolis.

Both sides so would have to agree come to an agreement on COVID-xix relief. The biggest hurdles circumduct effectually coin for state and local governments, a key item Democrats accept insisted on, and liability protections for businesses, something Republicans accept required in any relief beak. Though at that place is optimism growing on passing relief, Democrats and Republicans volition have to quickly come up to a deal so both chambers can pass a beak before Fri'south deadline.

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., remained optimistic last week.

"Nosotros have the time to do it," she said Friday. "We are going to go along government open."

She added that Congress has the momentum to quickly agree on both a government spending deal and a COVID-19 relief package.

"We'll take the time we need, and we must go information technology washed, and nosotros must become it washed earlier we exit. We cannot leave without it," she said.

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Source: https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/2020/12/07/government-shutdown-happen-if-congress-doesnt-act-friday/3856020001/