As the nation’s capital is consumed by the Democrats' impeachment inquiry, President Donald Trump on Sunday signaled that he is not committed to keeping the federal government open later this month -- setting up another potential government shutdown ahead of the Thanksgiving holiday.
As the nation’s capital is consumed by the Democrats' impeachment inquiry, President Donald Trump on Sunday signaled that he is not committed to keeping the federal government open later this month -- setting up another potential government shutdown ahead of the Thanksgiving holiday.
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In response to a question asking the president whether he would commit to avoiding another shutdown like the one that roiled Washington almost one year ago, Trump refused to rule out the possibility.
"I wouldn’t commit to anything," Trump told reporters on the White House South Lawn on Sunday. "It depends on what the negotiations are."
With the House of Representatives in the midst of a 10-day recess, the House and Senate have just eight legislative days remaining where both chambers are in session to strike a deal to avert a government shutdown ahead of the Nov. 21 deadline.
Lawmakers must come to terms on 12 appropriations bills that fund all federal agencies, or pass another stop-gap continuing resolution -- maintaining current spending levels until they can agree to terms on any changes.
After little progress on bicameral negotiations leading up to the end of the fiscal year, Trump signed a short-term spending bill in September to buy lawmakers additional time to reconcile differences, especially on funding for the president's border wall, on Capitol Hill.
But that eight-week extension did little to reignite negotiations so it’s very likely Congress will need to pass another short-term bill before funding runs dry.