Shutdown Avoided – for 2 Weeks
December 10, 2018
On Dec. 6, the House and Senate passed, and President Trump signed, a short-term stopgap bill that funds the government through Dec. 21, averting a partial government shutdown. But they will have to do this all over again in two weeks to avoid another shutdown.
“Thankfully, come Saturday, the federal government will not be entering into a shutdown for the third time this year,” said AFGE President J. David Cox Sr. “Each time Congress fails to do its job and shuts down the government, the lives of the women and men who serve the American public become much more difficult, and millions of taxpayers are denied critical services they've paid for.”
While agreeing to the two-week funding measure, President Trump has again threatened to shut down the government if the long-term spending package doesn’t include $5 billion for a border wall. Democrats have previously agreed to $1.6 billion in border security, the White House’s original request. But Trump has since increased his request to $5 billion solely for the construction of the wall. The total
Trump is requesting now is $25 billion.
Out of 12 appropriations bills, only five have been signed into law. The seven remaining funding bills are:
1. Homeland Security
2. Commerce, Justice, Science and Related Agencies
3. Interior, Environment and Related Agencies
4. Financial Services and General Government
5. Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration and Related Agencies
6. Transportation, Housing and Urban Development and Related Agencies
7. State, Foreign Operations and Related Agencies
Our union is urging Congress to fund the government through the 2019 fiscal year, which ends Sept. 30, 2019.
“It’s beyond time we stop kicking the can down the road with continuing resolutions that erode the level of trust and respect our government deserves,” Cox added. “Members of Congress are elected to represent the best interests of the American people. Creating uncertainty and inconsistencies in the workflows of federal employees is never a good thing for Americans.”
