FINAL UPDATE (12/20/2019): President Trump has signed the spending bills and avoided a holiday government shutdown. The bill granted Federal employees paid parental leave and created a new branch in the military called Space Force, which is historic.
UPDATE (12/20/2019): The House and Senate have approved the $1.4 trillion, two-part spending deal. It is now pending President Donald Trump’s signature.
We are removing the countdown clock since the shutdown threat is over.
UPDATE (12/16/2019): Congressional leaders have struck a tentative deal for $1.4 trillion. However, until the deal is finalized, a government shutdown can still occur. We will continue to follow developments.
UPDATE: The shutdown has been averted. The countdown has started for December 20th!
Well, folks, here we go again! Federal government employees and American citizens are sitting at their dinner tables, wondering if there will be a federal government shutdown tomorrow.
If a continuing resolution (CR) fails to pass by Thursday at midnight, the federal government will shut down due to a lack of funding.
Our Take
All week news outlets and politicians have said with certainty a shutdown would not occur, but doubt continues to loom.
For one, the Senate failed to vote on the temporary government funding bill today, despite the fact, the House voted and approved the measure on Tuesday.
Earlier today, whispers swirled about the Senate sending the bill back to the House for a second vote! Apparently, Senate Republicans wanted to change the shell used by the House for the continuing resolution. Thankfully that decision has since been dismissed per several reports.
The Facts
There is little doubt the passage of the CR will come down to the wire. The Senate is expected to start voting tomorrow at 11:30 am EST. If Congress somehow gets the CR passed on time, President Donald Trump still needs to sign it. Once it becomes a law, the government will be funded through December 20, 2019. Then, we will have the unfortunate pleasure of wondering if the federal government will shut down over the winter holidays again.
Are you having fun yet?
[ Countdown Clock Removed ]
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