Without facing any opposition, the Senate passed a stopgap funding measure on Dec. 11 to block a government shutdown for one week. Meanwhile, lawmakers are leaving no stone unturned in a bid to close a deal on government funding.
President Donald Trump signed the spending bill into law on Dec. 11. The White House announced after the Supreme Court rejected a Trump-backed election contest filed by Texas's state. Passed by the House earlier this week, the bills keep the government open at funding levels.
The possibility of a government shutdown surfaced Thursday evening as Senator Rand Paul, R-Ky.warned he would block the passage of the funding measure over his protest to provisions in a defense authorization bill. Paul lifted his objection by Friday morning, explaining to reporters on Capitol Hill he would not hold up government funding measure from proceeding, according to the Associated Press.
The negotiations process over a comprehensive government funding bill has come to a screeching halt. Lawmakers are unable to address several issues such as border wall funding, funding for detention beds for Immigration and Customs Enforcement, and more. In addition to that, Democrat's attempt to include language on police reform is another stumbling block.
This reform is a result of nation-wide protests against systemic racism and the killing of Black people, including George Floyd in Minneapolis. Chairman of the Senate Appropriations Committee, Senator Richard Shelby, told reporters earlier this week that Senators were close on the heels of a spending deal. However, there are few things that need to be addressed, USA Today reported.
Although both political parties have assured a deal, shutdowns have been quite common in the last several years. For instance, the government has shut down three times since Trump took office. Under his presidency, the government was shut down for 35 days in 2018, marking the nation's history's longest-ever shutdown.
The aforesaid shutdown was a result of a deadlock between Congress and the White House over funding for a wall located near the southern U.S. border. If the White House and Congress do not reach an agreement, several nonessential government workers will be forced to work without pay until the shutdown comes to an end.
If the government shuts down, there will be ripple effects on the economy, including everything from air travel to agencies responding to the COVID-19 pandemic. On top of that, national parks may close, airport operations could become slow, and all this could affect the economy.