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Government Shutdown:
It occurs when Congress and the President fail to approve a federal budget for the upcoming year and nonessential functions of the U.S. government close until lawmakers can agree on a budget.

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Some issues at stake are that government employees are deemed nonessential. All workers would be on leave till the government continues functioning back. In some cases the people who serve our country continue to go to work just without any pay at the time.

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This means that it will cost America billions in economic output and a near 800,000 nonessential federal employees furloughed. Could also mean that national parks will lose a near 700,000 visitors per day, and NASA may cease operations.

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The shutdown stays in effect until a compromise is reached and a budget bill is passed.

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January 19
January 30
January 31
March 5

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The conflict that originally led to this year’s government shutdown began in September 2017, when the Trump administration announced its intent to rescind the DACA program and gave congress six months to pass legislation that would protect DACA recipients. No new applications have been accepted to the DACA program since Sept. 5.

The government shutdown was an effort by Democrats to force a vote on legislation to protect DACA recipients. DACA currently protects 690,000 people. But this number will rapidly dwindle if Congress fails to act to protect DACA before March 5, the current deadline given by the Trump administration.

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WASHINGTON (AP) - As Republicans focus on overhauling the tax code, the rest of Washington's fall agenda seems to be adrift, raising the real possibility of a government shutdown in December.

A divided Congress is struggling to agree on military and domestic spending and help for young immigrants, among other issues. And President Donald Trump's penchant for shifting his positions isn't helping.

The agenda outside tax reform is a combustible mix of must-do and could-do items, with the current government spending bill set to expire Dec. 8. On the list are immigration and a U.S.-Mexico border wall; an impasse over children's health care; pent-up demand for budget increases for the Pentagon and domestic agencies; and tens of billions of dollars in hurricane aid.

There's plenty at stake for Republicans controlling Washington. Politically, there's an urgency to avoid a debilitating shutdown just as the GOP hopes to wrap up an overhaul of the tax code that is its top priority. And legions of GOP defense hawks are adamant that the Pentagon receive a huge 2018 budget hike approaching $80-90 billion. Trump and many followers want the U.S.-Mexico wall.

Democrats retain considerable power in the endgame - their votes are needed - and are pressing demands of their own. They want protections for immigrants who were brought to the U.S. illegally as young children. They also demand budget increases for domestic agencies.

"I think we're headed in a good direction on the spending caps," Sen. Roy Blunt, R-Mo., said Monday. "I don't know that will get to immigration this year but that's a pretty easy thing to settle if the Democrats will give the president some of what he wants. I think he would be willing to be pretty forward-leaning on kids who were brought to the country illegally."

"Can you get a bipartisan Dream Act? Can you marry it up with border security and interior enforcement?" said Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C. "There's a potential deal."

For his part, Trump tends to waver depending on the situation - siding with Democrats on a debt deal in September, and promising Republicans last week that the controversial immigration issue won't be part of the year-end spending measure.

Meanwhile, the tax debate is taking up energy, time and political capital, and GOP leaders seem reluctant to issue controversial decisions that might harm its chances.

A rundown of non-tax issues facing Congress and Trump:

___

SPENDING

Ideally, top leaders in both parties would like to agree on new spending levels and pass a catchall bill by the Dec. 8 deadline. That's looking increasingly unlikely. Another temporary funding bill would be needed to avert a government shutdown, but many Democrats say they won't be able to support any measure that doesn't include help for so-called "Dreamer" immigrants facing deportation. That increases the odds of a shutdown.

Congressional leaders are conducting secret talks on raising the spending levels and say they are optimistic about a deal. But there's no sign of one yet. A possible agreement could add perhaps $100 billion to the budget for the current year alone, which is sure to cause sticker shock among the GOP's fiscal conservatives. Trump's demands for the border wall - a nonstarter with Democrats - could spark a shutdown battle.

Then there's aid to areas devastated by Hurricanes Harvey, Irma and Maria. The White House promises to submit a request later this month for "several tens of billions of dollars" aimed mostly at helping Texas and Florida. That's likely to bring the total appropriated since September for hurricane relief to more than $100 billion, which is likely to rankle deficit hawks.

___

IMMIGRATION

Trump announced in September that he is ending temporary deportation protections granted by the Obama administration to young immigrants known as "Dreamers" who were illegally brought into the U.S. and often have known no other home. But he gave Congress until March to come up with a fix and promised top Democratic leaders he would sign legislation protecting them, so long as he wins billions for border security.

The Congressional Hispanic Caucus and Senate Democrats, such as California Sen. Kamala Harris, are demanding the immigration issue be addressed as soon as possible and won't vote for any spending bill that fails to include a solution. That could doom the spending bill as Republicans need Democratic votes to pass the measure. Top Democrats such as Minority Leader Chuck Schumer of New York are keeping their powder dry in hopes that negotiations, which appear stalled, pick up steam.

___

CHILDREN'S HEALTH

The reauthorization of an expired children's health program is becoming more urgent as the lapse in the program will mean a cutoff in services in Arizona, California, Minnesota, Ohio and other states by late December or January.

There's a bipartisan desire to extend the program, but negotiations over how to pay for the measure have yet to produce a breakthrough. A compromise ultimately appears likely, and the measure is a candidate to be coupled with other items in December.

Copyright © 2018 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, written or redistributed.

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Crush of tough issues could bring about government shutdown

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WASHINGTON (AP) - As Republicans focus on overhauling the tax code, the rest of Washington's fall agenda seems to be adrift, raising the real possibility of a government shutdown in December. A divided Congress is struggling to agree on military and domestic spending and help for young immigrants, among other issues.

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1. Agriculture - 40 percent of 95,383 workers. Farmers can't get loans processed. March food stamps could be cut.

2. Commerce - 87 percent of 47,896 workers. Reports from the Bureau of Economic Analysis are delayed.

3. Homeland Security - 13 percent of 232,860 workers. Companies can't verify a worker's immigration status.

4. Housing and Urban Development - 95 percent of 7,497 workers. Rental assistance for the elderly and disabled is delayed.

5. Interior - 78 percent of 68,469 workers. National Park maintenance has decreased. The Environmental Protection Agency would furlough 95 percent of 13,872 workers. It used reserve funds through December 28.

Democrats rejected the deal for three reasons. First, the courts already upheld DACA. Second, Trump is offering temporary protection in return for a permanent wall. Third, Democrats want the government reopened before negotiations begin.

The Democrat-controlled House will vote by January 25, 2019 to add $1 billion in additional border security funding. It targets ports of entry, advanced technology for scanning vehicles for drugs, and more immigration judges.

The Republican-controlled Senate is submitting a budget that contains wall funding. It adds $7.3 billion for additional border patrol and increased detention facilities. It adds $12.7 billion in disaster aid.

Erecting a wall on the rest of the border would stop 144,000 immigrants. It would raise incomes of low-skilled workers by 58 cents a year. It would cost $15 per American to build the wall.

But the wall would hurt the economy overall. Incomes of higher-skilled workers would fall by $7.60 a year. The U.S. economy would lose more than $4 billion a year. The same thing happened with the existing wall. Workers with college degrees lost $4.35 annually. As a result, the economy declined by $2.5 billion.

The conservative Heritage Foundation says the money would be better spent on technology and agents to prevent illegal crossings. It advocates more enforcement to apprehend immigrants who overstay their visas.

On January 22, Congress ended the shutdown. It passed a continuing resolution that expired at midnight on February 8, 2018. Republicans promised to work with Democrats on DACA legislation.

On February 9, the government shut down again, this time for five and a half hours. Senator Rand Paul objected to the bipartisan two-year spending bill. It added more than $300 billion to the debt.

Border Protection and Immigration, air traffic controls, and the Transportation Security Administration remain open. The Justice Department remains open, but gun permits are not be issued during a shutdown. The Postal Service has a separate source of funds, so mail continues to be delivered.

Here are the major departments that shut down:

Commerce, except National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.

Education.

Energy. Functions that oversee the safety of the nation's nuclear arsenal, dams, and transmission lines remain open.

Environmental Protection Agency.

Food and Drug Administration.

Health and Human Services.

Housing and Urban Development.

Interior, including National Parks.

Internal Revenue Service, except those processing tax returns.

Labor, including Bureau of Labor Statistics.

National Institute of Health.

Smithsonian.

Here are examples of when the federal government either shut down or narrowly avoided one.

2017. The government avoided a shutdown on April 28, 2017. That's when the continuing resolution, passed on September 30, 2016, expired. Congress hadn't allocated funds for the FY 2017 budget, which covered October 1, 2016, to September 30, 2017. The continuing resolution funded the government during the 2016 presidential election and transition. The Senate and House approved the spending bill on May 1, 2017. It appropriated $1.1 trillion in spending.

Many Republicans oppose the border wall. Those from California, Arizona, New Mexico, and Texas face the most consequences. They say the wall won't work, especially without added security forces. Others worry about the impact on the environment in their states.

Democrats also oppose the wall. They would prefer to use the funds to keep Obamacare subsidies and the other domestic spending programs. They want to increase programs for opioid addiction and health care for coal miners.

For the continuing resolution to pass, the Trump administration withdrew its request for border wall funding. It also agreed to continue providing Obamacare subsidies.

2013. The government shutdown began on October 1, 2013. The Republican-controlled House submitted a continuing resolution without administrative funds for Obamacare. The Senate rejected the bill and sent one back that included Obamacare. The House ignored that bill. It sent one back that delayed the mandate that everyone should buy health insurance. It also deleted the subsidies for Congress and their staffers. The Senate ignored that bill and the government shut down.

Here's what happened each day of the shutdown:

October 1. TV news highlight how veterans can't visit the WWII Memorial and cancer patients can't take advantage of treatment trials at the National Institute of Health.

October 2. Republicans submit a funding bill that delays Obamacare for a year.

October 3. Obama calls on the House to vote on the Senate's continuing resolution.

October 4. Boehner considers negotiating a budget proposal that will fund the government and raise the debt ceiling. At the same time, he calls on the Senate to negotiate on Obamacare.

October 5. The secretary of Defense calls back furloughed civilian workers.

October 6. The House passes a bill to reimburse furloughed federal employees, even though they aren't working. But no one gets paid until a funding resolution is passed.

October 7. Boehner won't fund the government or raise the debt ceiling unless Democrats agree to cut Medicare, Medicaid, and Obamacare. These mandatory programs aren't even part of the discretionary budget that is shut down.

October 8. House Republicans propose a "Supercommittee" to negotiate a budget acceptable to both parties. But House Democrats want the shutdown ended and the debt ceiling raised before establishing such a committee. In addition, Senate Democrats might propose a stand-alone bill to raise the debt ceiling.

October 9. House Democrats meet with Boehner before meeting with Obama.

October 10. Boehner and a team of House Republicans meet with Obama. They proposed raising the debt ceiling for six weeks to allow time to negotiate.

October 11. House Republicans put together a budget in exchange for raising the debt ceiling for six weeks and reopening the government.

October 12. Talks between Boehner and Obama break down. The Senate creates a plan to force the House to an agreement, as it did during the 2011 debt ceiling crisis and the fiscal cliff crisis.

October 13. Senate bilateral negotiations continue. Republicans want to extend the debt ceiling for three months, fund the government at current levels for six months, establish a bipartisan Congressional committee to agree on spending cuts to Medicare, delay Obamacare's tax on medical devices for two years, and give agencies more leeway in implementing sequestration.

October 14. Senate Democrats want to increase spending by $70 billion on the sequestration cuts that hit in January. They want the debt ceiling raised for a year. Republicans want cuts in Medicare and Obamacare and a three- to six-month extension of the debt ceiling.

October 15. The House submits its own plan, which has thrown a wrench into the Senate's negotiations. Neither side of Congress will accept the other's proposal.

October 16. The House plan didn't get the support of Tea Party Republicans, so it was dropped. Speaker Boehner put the Senate plan to a vote, where it passed through Democrat and moderate Republican votes. The president signed it Wednesday night.

October 17. The bill raised the debt ceiling until February 7, 2014, and reopened the federal government until January 15, 2014. It set up a budget conference committee, led by Senate Budget Chairwoman Patty Murray, D-Wash, and House Budget Committee Chairman Paul Ryan, R-Wisc, to submit a unified budget to the president by December 15, 2013.

The Obama administration reported the shutdown slowed economic growth by 0.2 percent to 0.6 percent. It also cost 120,000 jobs. The government was unable to issue certificates for ships carrying U.S. exports and 200 drilling permits were delayed. Around 850,000 federal employees were furloughed each day.

Republicans gave up an earlier proposal of $61 billion in cuts in non-defense discretionary spending, including cuts to Planned Parenthood. This also allowed Obamacare and the Dodd-Frank Bank Reform Act to remain unscathed. Their cuts would have cost 800,000 jobs. Democrats gave up on $1.7 billion in cuts to defense.

1995. The government shut down twice: November 13 to November 19, 1995, and December 5, 1995, to January 6, 1996. Republican Speaker of the House Newt Gingrich won the Republican Party's 1994 Contract with America. It promised to slash funding and introduce a balanced budget amendment to the Constitution.

But no such amendment passed, so Gingrich went after Democratic President Bill Clinton's FY 1996 budget. He demanded steep cuts in Medicare, Medicaid, and other non-defense discretionary spending in return for raising the debt ceiling. To keep the United States from defaulting, a continuing resolution bill was passed until November 13. When no budget deal was reached, the government shut down until both sides agreed to balance the budget in seven years.

But they couldn't agree on which budget items would be cut by the time the resolution ended. The government shut down on December 15. By January 1996, both sides negotiated an agreement that cut some spending and raised some taxes, balancing the budget over the next seven years.

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Why the Government Shut Down and What Happens Next

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Agriculture - 40 percent of 95,383 workers. Farmers can't get loans processed. March food stamps could be cut. Commerce - 87 percent of 47,896 workers. Reports from the Bureau of Economic Analysis are delayed. Homeland Security - 13 percent of 232,860 workers. Companies can't verify a worker's immigration status.

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government shutdown in the united states

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What Is a Government Shutdown? Here's What Happens If Congress Can't Make a Deal

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Lawmakers are scrambling and headlines are screaming Friday as the U.S. government heads towards a shutdown. But what does that mean?

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WASHINGTON (AP) - As Republicans focus on overhauling the tax code, the rest of Washington's fall agenda seems to be adrift, raising the real possibility of a government shutdown in December.

A divided Congress is struggling to agree on military and domestic spending and help for young immigrants, among other issues. And President Donald Trump's penchant for shifting his positions isn't helping.

The agenda outside tax reform is a combustible mix of must-do and could-do items, with the current government spending bill set to expire Dec. 8. On the list are immigration and a U.S.-Mexico border wall; an impasse over children's health care; pent-up demand for budget increases for the Pentagon and domestic agencies; and tens of billions of dollars in hurricane aid.

There's plenty at stake for Republicans controlling Washington. Politically, there's an urgency to avoid a debilitating shutdown just as the GOP hopes to wrap up an overhaul of the tax code that is its top priority. And legions of GOP defense hawks are adamant that the Pentagon receive a huge 2018 budget hike approaching $80-90 billion. Trump and many followers want the U.S.-Mexico wall.

Democrats retain considerable power in the endgame - their votes are needed - and are pressing demands of their own. They want protections for immigrants who were brought to the U.S. illegally as young children. They also demand budget increases for domestic agencies.

"I think we're headed in a good direction on the spending caps," Sen. Roy Blunt, R-Mo., said Monday. "I don't know that will get to immigration this year but that's a pretty easy thing to settle if the Democrats will give the president some of what he wants. I think he would be willing to be pretty forward-leaning on kids who were brought to the country illegally."

"Can you get a bipartisan Dream Act? Can you marry it up with border security and interior enforcement?" said Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C. "There's a potential deal."

For his part, Trump tends to waver depending on the situation - siding with Democrats on a debt deal in September, and promising Republicans last week that the controversial immigration issue won't be part of the year-end spending measure.

Meanwhile, the tax debate is taking up energy, time and political capital, and GOP leaders seem reluctant to issue controversial decisions that might harm its chances.

A rundown of non-tax issues facing Congress and Trump:

___

SPENDING

Ideally, top leaders in both parties would like to agree on new spending levels and pass a catchall bill by the Dec. 8 deadline. That's looking increasingly unlikely. Another temporary funding bill would be needed to avert a government shutdown, but many Democrats say they won't be able to support any measure that doesn't include help for so-called "Dreamer" immigrants facing deportation. That increases the odds of a shutdown.

Congressional leaders are conducting secret talks on raising the spending levels and say they are optimistic about a deal. But there's no sign of one yet. A possible agreement could add perhaps $100 billion to the budget for the current year alone, which is sure to cause sticker shock among the GOP's fiscal conservatives. Trump's demands for the border wall - a nonstarter with Democrats - could spark a shutdown battle.

Then there's aid to areas devastated by Hurricanes Harvey, Irma and Maria. The White House promises to submit a request later this month for "several tens of billions of dollars" aimed mostly at helping Texas and Florida. That's likely to bring the total appropriated since September for hurricane relief to more than $100 billion, which is likely to rankle deficit hawks.

___

IMMIGRATION

Trump announced in September that he is ending temporary deportation protections granted by the Obama administration to young immigrants known as "Dreamers" who were illegally brought into the U.S. and often have known no other home. But he gave Congress until March to come up with a fix and promised top Democratic leaders he would sign legislation protecting them, so long as he wins billions for border security.

The Congressional Hispanic Caucus and Senate Democrats, such as California Sen. Kamala Harris, are demanding the immigration issue be addressed as soon as possible and won't vote for any spending bill that fails to include a solution. That could doom the spending bill as Republicans need Democratic votes to pass the measure. Top Democrats such as Minority Leader Chuck Schumer of New York are keeping their powder dry in hopes that negotiations, which appear stalled, pick up steam.

___

CHILDREN'S HEALTH

The reauthorization of an expired children's health program is becoming more urgent as the lapse in the program will mean a cutoff in services in Arizona, California, Minnesota, Ohio and other states by late December or January.

There's a bipartisan desire to extend the program, but negotiations over how to pay for the measure have yet to produce a breakthrough. A compromise ultimately appears likely, and the measure is a candidate to be coupled with other items in December.

Copyright © 2018 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, written or redistributed.

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Crush of tough issues could bring about government shutdown

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WASHINGTON (AP) - As Republicans focus on overhauling the tax code, the rest of Washington's fall agenda seems to be adrift, raising the real possibility of a government shutdown in December. A divided Congress is struggling to agree on military and domestic spending and help for young immigrants, among other issues.