The Dictatorship
The federal government has shut down — for now
As Friday turned into Saturday, most of the federal government is now technically in a shutdown, after lawmakers failed to pass a funding package in time. The question now is how long the partial shutdown will last — and whether House lawmakers will insist on additional changes to a funding bill.
On Friday evening, the Senate passed a spending measure that included five of the remaining six appropriations bills — about four-fifths of all federal discretionary spending — and included a two-week continuing resolution for the Department of Homeland Security. There was broad, bipartisan consensus about the five appropriations bills, but lawmakers wanted more time to work out a deal on DHS funding to address Democratic concerns about immigration enforcement.
But the agreement still needs to be passed by the House, which is not slated to return to Washington for a vote until Monday. That means there will at least be a lapse in appropriations for six federal agencies over the weekend.
Friday’s Senate vote followed a week of tense negotiation, after Democrats pulled their support for the funding package until the DHS spending bill was removed.
While the House is expected to return on Monday and promptly pass the bill, there could be several ways the deal goes sideways.
And while the House is expected to return on Monday and promptly pass the bill, there could be several ways the deal goes sideways. Already, some House Republicans are insisting on changes. And many GOP lawmakers worry that Democrats have no intention of passing a longer-term DHS funding bill.
But after President Donald Trump endorsed the plan on Thursday, Senate and House GOP leaders fell in line with the agreement that Trump and Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., had worked out.
On Friday, just before the Senate passed the package, Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., hosted a private conference call with House Republicans. He told his members that the president had “made a play call,” according to a source on the call.
“And we have to support him on it,” Johnson said, according to the source, who was granted anonymity to discuss the private call. “And that’s what we’re gonna do.”
Mychael Schnell contributed to this report.
Sydney Carruth is a breaking news reporter for MS NOW.