For those keeping up with the latest drama in Congress regarding federal funding, there’s a new wrench in the gears that otherwise would keep the government running. First, some House Republicans and Democrats pushed back on the deal worked out between President Donald Trump and Senate leadership, even if for different reasons. Then they drew their respective lines in the sand. And by Sunday evening, February 1, Speaker of the House Mike Johnson (R-LA) announced there would be no fast-tracked vote on Monday, essentially guaranteeing the partial government shutdown will drag on into the week. So much for the quick fix.
Let’s review the saga so far.
Thursday, January 22: The House passed the last remaining full-year appropriation bills together in one package. One of these would fund the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), while the other five would cover the Departments of Treasury, State, Labor, Education, Transportation, Housing and Urban Development, Health and Human Services, and Defense (or War, as the Trump administration is calling it). The final tally came out to 220-207, with seven Democrats joining all of the GOP except for Rep. Thomas Massie of Kentucky.
Thursday, January 29: Senate Democrats warned GOP leaders they wouldn’t advance the DHS funding, but Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-SD) pushed a vote on cloture anyway. It was referred to as a “test vote,” and it failed miserably. Seven Republicans joined all the Democrats for a final tally of 45-55. But then, late in the evening, President Trump and Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) made a deal: Pass the five non-DHS funding bills and a continuing resolution (CR) in place of the other to avoid a shutdown but to keep the conversation on DHS open. Sen. Lindsey Graham, though, refused to allow a suspension of the rules so that the vote could happen Thursday night because the CR would repeal his and other senators’ right to sue former special counsel Jack Smith over surveilling them during his investigation into Trump.
Friday, January 30: Friday was the final day of funding that would have been covered through September had the initial package passed both chambers without a hitch. Sen. Graham further explained his position on the funding and agreed to allow a vote if his colleagues would agree to vote on a bill to crack down on sanctuary cities and to expand the pool of people who can sue Smith to as many as 190 groups or individuals. The vote came just before 6:30 p.m. Eastern, and Democrats upheld their end of the bargain. The revised package cleared the Senate 71-29. The bill then headed for the House, but Speaker Johnson refused to cheat his fellow representatives of their agreed-upon 72 hours of notice. He did say the plan was to suspend the rules for a quick vote on Monday.
Now it’s Monday, February 2, but no vote on the spending package is expected and the shutdown continues. Republicans and Democrats alike in the lower chamber took issue with the return and issued their respective demands. On the Republican side, Reps. Anna Paulina Luna of Florida and Ralph Norman of South Carolina pushed back on the vote. Luna said she’d only support the new package if the House voted on the new SAVE America Act, the revised and resubmitted version of the SAVE Act to require proof of US citizenship in order to vote in US elections. Norman simply opposed the CR outright.
House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY) and Congressional Progressive Caucus Chairman Greg Casar (D-TX) made it clear Saturday and Sunday that they wouldn’t back the CR to continue funding DHS, not even just for two weeks.
When it became clear on Sunday that the two-thirds majority required to suspend the rules simply wasn’t there, Johnson announced there would be no vote until at least Tuesday, possibly later. Even then, with multiple Republicans in opposition, it would require at least some help from across the aisle to pass the spending measures and end the shutdown – and it just isn’t clear that enough support exists among House Democrats.
With this rollercoaster of a ride seemingly ready to run off the rails entirely at any moment, it’s time to ask the question: If this shutdown doesn’t end, what will actually be affected? The Department of Education will lose funding. For President Trump and those who back him on this issue, that’s a win, not a loss. Democrats could cheer the defunding of ICE and CBP, presumably, though many of those agents will likely be deemed essential and forced to continue working – whether they get paid or not – so it’s unlikely immigration enforcement operations will cease despite the temporary lack of funding. TSA employees could find themselves in a similar predicament, as could the military, FEMA, and air traffic controllers.
How ever one feels about any one of these groups or agencies – or the abomination that federal spending has become – there’s something to be upset about. Longer lines at train stations and airports and grounded flights are a hassle for travelers of any political persuasion, emergency management and support affects entire states and regions at times, and no one really likes the idea of American service members being financially suffocated while still being expected to carry out their duties.
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