Tag: government shutdown

Shutdown politics set to collide with coronavirus aid

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The odds are rising that any deal on a fifth coronavirus relief package will be tied to legislation to prevent a government shutdown.

After weeks of stalemated talks, the timeline for the two fights have all but merged: The House is set to leave until after the election by Oct. 2, giving lawmakers only a matter of weeks to get a deal on another coronavirus bill. And government agencies cannot run when the next fiscal year begins on Oct. 1 without new funding from Congress. 

Tying the two together would set up a high-stakes election-year battle, combining the threat of a shutdown with help for roughly 30 million Americans out of work since the spread of the coronavirus that has rattled the economy and killed more than 180,000 people in the United States.  Continue reading.

Pelosi rejects short-term debt ceiling hike as budget talks extend

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi Monday night turned aside the notion of a short-term debt ceiling hike as she continues negotiating on a broader budget deal with Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin.

After days of hashing out their positions over the phone, Pelosi (D-Calif.) and Mnuchin spoke again Monday night, with plans to talk on Tuesday, according to a Pelosi aide.

“We shall see,” Pelosi said when asked about the possibility of striking a sweeping two-year agreement before the August recess that lifts the budget caps and the debt limit.

View the complete July 15 article by Caitlin Emma on the Politico website here.

GOP struggles to find backup plan for avoiding debt default

The Hill logoRepublicans are in the dark about their party’s backup plan for raising the debt ceiling amid growing anxiety that they will need to do so in a matter of weeks.

Leadership wants to attach an increase in the nation’s borrowing limit to a budget deal, which would let them consolidate two tough political votes. But while Congress has until January to avoid deep budget cuts, it appears increasingly likely it will have to vote to raise the debt ceiling before leaving for the August recess.

Underscoring the urgency, Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin sent letters to congressional leadership Friday requesting Congress vote before the recess, after first indicating to reporters that it was his “preference” lawmakers act this month.

View the complete July 14 article by Jordain Carney on The Hill website here.

Debt limit may be reached before end of August recess, Mnuchin says

Treasury secretary formally notified Congress of the uncertainty on Friday

Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin put his request on paper for Congress to act on the debt ceiling before the August recess, writing to congressional leaders Friday that there’s a chance Treasury could run out of cash in early September.

“Since there is a reasonable uncertainty in projecting government cash flows, it is impossible to identify precisely how long extraordinary measures will last,” Mnuchin wrote in his four-sentence letter, referencing accounting maneuvers Treasury can engage in to carve out room under the $22 trillion debt limit. Continue reading “Debt limit may be reached before end of August recess, Mnuchin says”

Internal cracks emerge in GOP strategy to avoid shutdown

The Hill logoSenate Republicans are struggling to unite behind a plan to fund the government after budget talks have ground to a halt.

Congress has until the end of September to prevent the second government closure of the year, but Republicans are struggling to overcome the first roadblock — agreeing to top-line defense and nondefense figures or deciding what comes next if they can’t.

The drama over how to fund the government and avoid deep budget cuts has played out in private, closed-door meetings and put a public spotlight on the high-profile split among Republicans as well as with the White House about the best path to avoid a shutdown.

View the complete June 30 article by Jordain Carney on The Hill website here.

GOP in disarray as budget impasse threatens shutdown, deep cuts — and default

Senate Republicans and the Trump administration are struggling to reach an agreement on a path forward on critical budget and spending issues, threatening not only another government shutdown and deep spending cuts but a federal default that could hit the economy hard.

GOP leaders have spent months cajoling President Trump in favor of a bipartisan budget deal that would fund the government and raise the limit on federal borrowing this fall, but their efforts have yet to produce a deal. And the uncertain path forward was underscored a few days ago at the Capitol, when a budget meeting between key Senate Republicans, including Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.), and senior White House officials left out Democrats, whose votes will be imperative to avoid a shutdown and an economy-shaking breach of the federal debt limit.

“We’re negotiating with ourselves right now,” said Senate Appropriations Chairman Richard C. Shelby (R-Ala.). “The president, the administration, has some views, maybe, that are a little different sometimes than the Senate Republicans have. So we’re trying to see if we can be together as best we can.”

View the complete June 15 article by Erica Werner and Seung Min Kim on The Washington Post website here.

Trump criticizes border wall deal: ‘Can’t say I’m happy’

President Trump on Tuesday knocked a bipartisan deal to avert a government shutdown, but suggested he could still get his long-desired border wall built and expressed confidence the government would remain open.

“I’m not happy about it. It’s not doing the trick,” Trump told reporters during a Cabinet meeting at the White House.

“I’m adding things to it, and when you add whatever I have to add, it’s all going to happen where we’re going to build a beautiful, big, strong wall,” the president continued.

View the complete February 12 article by Jordan Fabian on The Hill website here.

How shutdown will sting across the board

Within days of the government shutdown setting a record,  federal agencies, employees and the general public will begin to feel the pain, says CQ budget and appropriations reporter Kellie Mejdrich. She also gives the latest developments in what is turning out to be a prolonged political battle.

View the January 7 post by David Lerman on The Roll Call website here.

REALITY CHECK: Trump Is Responsible For The Government Shutdown

During his cabinet meeting today, Trump doubled down on the Trump Shutdown, saying he will keep the government shut down for “as long as it takes.” Trump also peddled more lies to try to pass blame for the hundreds of thousands of workers who are suffering because they don’t know when their next paycheck will come.

TRUMP YESTERDAY: Trump said he thinks Americans think he’s right to shut down the government over his border wall.

Trump: “I think the people of this country think I’m right.”

REALITY: A majority of voters oppose the Trump Shutdown.

A majority of voters oppose Trump shutting down the government over border wall funding, while only 29% support it. Continue reading “REALITY CHECK: Trump Is Responsible For The Government Shutdown”

‘A tailspin’: Under siege, Trump propels the government and markets into crisis

After President Trump declared he wouldn’t sign a funding bill without more border wall money, the House passed a bill that has slim chances of Senate approval. (Reuters)

President Trump began Thursday under siege, listening to howls of indignation from conservatives over his border wall and thrusting the government toward a shutdown. He ended it by announcing the exit of the man U.S. allies see as the last guardrail against the president’s erratic behavior: Defense Secretary Jim Mattis, whose resignation letter was a scathing rebuke of Trump’s worldview.

At perhaps the most fragile moment of his presidency — and vulnerable to convulsions on the political right — Trump single-handedly propelled the U.S. government into crisis and sent markets tumbling with his gambits this week to salvage signature campaign promises.

The president’s decisions and conduct have led to a fracturing of Trump’s coalition. Hawks condemned his sudden decision to withdraw U.S. troops from Syria. Conservatives called him a “gutless president” and questioned whether he would ever build a wall. Political friends began privately questioning whether Trump needed to be reined in.

View the complete December 20 article by Phillip Rucker, Robert Costa and Josh Dawsey on The Washington Post website here.