Odds Increase of Partial Federal Shutdown

As shared by The Hill:

“Republicans are girding themselves for a partial government shutdown, just in time for Christmas.

The partial shutdown has grown more and more likely, they say, because of President Trump’s self-defeating comments at a White House meeting with congressional Democrats earlier this week about how he would accept blame for a shutdown caused by his demands for $5 billion in wall funding.

[…]

GOP lawmakers are waiting on Trump to signal what kind of funding bill he’s willing to sign into law in the face of staunch Democratic opposition to spending any new money on a border wall. 

[…]

The House held its last vote of the week Thursday and will not be back in session until Wednesday — just two days before the deadline for keeping the government open.

[…]
 

[Senator Richard Shelby (R-AL) floated the possibility of Congress passing an emergency stopgap bill funding the government until Dec. 26 or Jan. 3. He also said there is discussion about a stopgap lasting until late January or early February.”

ANCOR Note: This predicted partial shutdown would not affect programs under the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), such as Medicaid, which have already been funded under a Congressional deal signed before the election. This partial shutdown will affect seven federal departments that have not yet been funded, including the Department of Homeland Security, which is responsible for border security.