FINAL UPDATE: The government has reopened after the Senate Democrats agreed to vote for a three week spending bill.
UPDATE: The deadline has passed. The US Federal Government has officially shutdown as Democrats and Republicans could not agree on a spending bill. This will be the first shutdown since 2013.
No, it isn’t Groundhog Day. We are facing the threat of another federal government shutdown. There is a real possibility the U.S. government will come to a screeching halt tonight at midnight.
Senate Needs 60 Votes
Late last night the House passed a spending measure with a vote 230 to 197. The spending measure will keep the government open through February 16th. The spending measure is now in the Senate. The Senate needs a minimum of 60 votes in support of the spending measure or it will fail. Democrats are expected to block the measure since it does not include legislation for DACA (Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals).
Who Will Be Blamed?
Republicans control the White House, Senate, and House of Representatives. Will they be blamed for shutting down the government? Some say yes. A shutdown has never occurred when a party controls all levels of power in D.C.
Others put the blame at Democrats for restricting their vote in both chambers of Congress. Are they willing to put undocumented persons before American citizens?
What about the President? He has been giving conflicting messages and he is scheduled to leave D.C. ahead of the deadline to attend a gala to celebrate his one year anniversary at his property, Mar-a-lago, in Florida*.
Is there Time?
There is still time for a shutdown to be avoided. It will be a nail biter, but possible. Compromise will need to be the order of the day. The President wants monetary support for the wall, Republicans want to raise military spending, while Democrats wants legislation for DACA and CHIP. It isn’t clear what will happen, but what is certain is the wide-scale impact from the decisions made today.
We plan to keep this post updated with any news regarding a federal shutdown. Stay tuned.
* When this post was first published, the President was going to head to Mar-a-lago. It is now being reported he will stay in D.C. until the Senate passes a stopgap spending bill.
Like our work? We appreciate your support.
How will a federal government shutdown affect you? Let us know in the comments.