A partial government shutdown began just after midnight as the debate in Congress over reining in immigration enforcement continues. It’s the second federal funding lapse in less than three months, but this one may be short-lived. The Senate voted Friday to fund most of the federal government through the end of September, coupled with a temporary, two-week funding extension for the Department of Homeland Security. Funding lapsed regardless, because the deal struck between President Donald Trump and Senate Democrats earlier this week still needs to go back to the House for approval. They’re not expected to return to Capitol Hill until Monday. In the meantime, federal agencies included in that spending package, like the Departments of Defense, Education, Transportation, Health, Labor, and Housing and Urban Development, are expected to start implementing shutdown contingency plans. Essential services will continue, including Social Security, Medicare and various public safety functions. Other services could face disruptions, but the impact should be limited if the House passes the package early next week. If the lapse drags on longer, federal workers, some of whom will be furloughed, would be at risk of paycheck delays.Unlike the last government shutdown, SNAP benefits won’t be affected because the Department of Agriculture, which oversees the food aid program, was among the agencies funded last year. The big question moving forward is whether Congress will pass new restrictions on immigration enforcement, amid widespread protests over the shooting deaths of two U.S. citizens in Minneapolis. “Senate Democrats will not support a DHS bill unless it reins in ICE and stops the violence,” Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer said after Friday’s vote. Democratic demands include ending so-called roving patrols, tightening warrant requirements, mandating body cameras and prohibiting masks for ICE agents. “When you look at the substance rather than the slogans, the demands all converge on a single outcome: robbing us of the power to enforce our immigration laws,” said Sen. Eric Schmitt, R-Missouri. Some GOP lawmakers have expressed a willingness to negotiate on accountability measures, but a compromise is far from guaranteed. Republicans have floated other proposals, like cracking down on sanctuary cities and increasing federal penalties for assaulting ICE agents. The first question facing the House is whether to advance the Senate’s revised spending package with a two-week extension of DHS funding, which is designed to allow more time for negotiations. The House has a very narrow Republican majority, and some GOP lawmakers have already raised concerns about carving out DHS funding. Trump has publicly urged Republicans to support the legislation.Democratic votes could be needed to get the package across the finish line, particularly on an expedited basis. House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries didn’t immediately commit to supporting the effort after the Senate vote on Friday night. “The House Democratic Caucus will evaluate the spending legislation passed by the Senate on its merits and then decide how to proceed legislatively,” Jeffries said in a statement.Despite the funding lapse, immigration enforcement is expected to continue due to the surge of funding Congress approved for ICE last year. The Trump administration suggested in previous comments that FEMA’s response to the recent snowstorm would be affected by the partial shutdown, but the Associated Press reports that the Disaster Relief Fund still has billions of dollars on hand. Experts told the AP that the remaining balance should be sufficient to limit impacts on the response, at least in the short term.The partial shutdown isn’t welcome news at the nation’s airports, where TSA agents will be required to come to work without pay until the funding lapse is over. Air traffic controllers, who are in the same boat, expressed frustration in a statement overnight.“A government shutdown places real and unnecessary strain on the air traffic control workforce and the aviation system as a whole,” said Nick Daniels, president of the National Air Traffic Controllers Association (NATCA). “We have been through this too recently and endured the stress of the previous shutdown for far too long. Congress needs to fund the government as soon as possible and put an end to this disruption.”
A partial government shutdown began just after midnight as the debate in Congress over reining in immigration enforcement continues. It’s the second federal funding lapse in less than three months, but this one may be short-lived.
The Senate voted Friday to fund most of the federal government through the end of September, coupled with a temporary, two-week funding extension for the Department of Homeland Security.
Funding lapsed regardless, because the deal struck between President Donald Trump and Senate Democrats earlier this week still needs to go back to the House for approval. They’re not expected to return to Capitol Hill until Monday.
In the meantime, federal agencies included in that spending package, like the Departments of Defense, Education, Transportation, Health, Labor, and Housing and Urban Development, are expected to start implementing shutdown contingency plans.
Essential services will continue, including Social Security, Medicare and various public safety functions.
Other services could face disruptions, but the impact should be limited if the House passes the package early next week. If the lapse drags on longer, federal workers, some of whom will be furloughed, would be at risk of paycheck delays.
Unlike the last government shutdown, SNAP benefits won’t be affected because the Department of Agriculture, which oversees the food aid program, was among the agencies funded last year.
The big question moving forward is whether Congress will pass new restrictions on immigration enforcement, amid widespread protests over the shooting deaths of two U.S. citizens in Minneapolis.
“Senate Democrats will not support a DHS bill unless it reins in ICE and stops the violence,” Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer said after Friday’s vote.
Democratic demands include ending so-called roving patrols, tightening warrant requirements, mandating body cameras and prohibiting masks for ICE agents.
“When you look at the substance rather than the slogans, the demands all converge on a single outcome: robbing us of the power to enforce our immigration laws,” said Sen. Eric Schmitt, R-Missouri.
Some GOP lawmakers have expressed a willingness to negotiate on accountability measures, but a compromise is far from guaranteed. Republicans have floated other proposals, like cracking down on sanctuary cities and increasing federal penalties for assaulting ICE agents.
The first question facing the House is whether to advance the Senate’s revised spending package with a two-week extension of DHS funding, which is designed to allow more time for negotiations.
The House has a very narrow Republican majority, and some GOP lawmakers have already raised concerns about carving out DHS funding. Trump has publicly urged Republicans to support the legislation.
Democratic votes could be needed to get the package across the finish line, particularly on an expedited basis. House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries didn’t immediately commit to supporting the effort after the Senate vote on Friday night.
“The House Democratic Caucus will evaluate the spending legislation passed by the Senate on its merits and then decide how to proceed legislatively,” Jeffries said in a statement.
Despite the funding lapse, immigration enforcement is expected to continue due to the surge of funding Congress approved for ICE last year.
The Trump administration suggested in previous comments that FEMA’s response to the recent snowstorm would be affected by the partial shutdown, but the Associated Press reports that the Disaster Relief Fund still has billions of dollars on hand. Experts told the AP that the remaining balance should be sufficient to limit impacts on the response, at least in the short term.
The partial shutdown isn’t welcome news at the nation’s airports, where TSA agents will be required to come to work without pay until the funding lapse is over. Air traffic controllers, who are in the same boat, expressed frustration in a statement overnight.
“A government shutdown places real and unnecessary strain on the air traffic control workforce and the aviation system as a whole,” said Nick Daniels, president of the National Air Traffic Controllers Association (NATCA). “We have been through this too recently and endured the stress of the previous shutdown for far too long. Congress needs to fund the government as soon as possible and put an end to this disruption.”
