Shutdown Inevitable as Spending Bill Negotiations Stall

The government is expected to shutdown at midnight Friday due to Congressional inaction on the spending package before the Senate that was prompted by partisan gridlock over the funding of President Trump’s long-promised border wall.

The Senate passed a procedural vote Friday evening to advance the current spending package to the floor for a final vote, which lawmaker say will not take place until Congressional leadership and Trump resolve their impasse over the amount of funding that will be allocated for border security enhancements.

The House and Senate adjourned Friday evening and members were told to return to the Capitol at noon Saturday, all but guaranteeing a shutdown.

The president reversed himself Thursday, amid harsh backlash from hardline restrictionist pundits and activists, after agreeing to sign a two-week continuing resolution that did not provide funding for border security. The decision reportedly surprised lawmakers and administration officials alike and forced many of them to return to the Capitol after traveling home for the holidays.

Trump sent Vice President Mike Pence, acting chief of staff Mick Mulvaney, and senior White House adviser Jared Kushner to Capitol Hill Friday evening to negotiate in-person with minority leader Chuck Schumer but as of Friday evening the group did not have any substantive advances to report.

The midnight shutdown will furlough thousands of federal workers and force thousands more to work without pay if it’s not resolved over the weekend. Lawmakers are expected to return to the Capitol Saturday morning to standby as leadership resumes negotiations.

Trump, who said last week he would “be proud” to shut down the government in order to secure funding for border security, reiterated his willingness to pursue that option Friday afternoon after meeting with Republican leadership. He later shared a tweet showcasing the design of the border fencing he plans to construct with the funds he is seeking.