Government Shutdown: Why It Might Happen And What It Means

WASHINGTON, DC — A government shutdown is looming once again as lawmakers struggle to work out a deal by the fast-approaching fiscal deadline at the end of Friday. President Donald Trump lashed out at Democrats on Thursday morning, accusing them of wanting a shutdown to distract from Wednesday's passage of a GOP tax bill.

The House is rushed to pass a stopgap spending bill 231-188 Thursday to keep the government open until the new year. Sixteen of the "no" votes came from Republicans. It must still pass the Senate.

"House Democrats want a SHUTDOWN for the holidays in order to distract from the very popular, just passed, Tax Cuts," he said on Twitter. "House Republicans, don’t let this happen. Pass the C.R. TODAY and keep our Government OPEN!"

The Republicans unveiled the new, stripped-down spending bill Thursday morning to prevent a government shutdown this weekend and allow quarreling lawmakers to punt most of their unfinished business into the new year. GOP leaders scrambled to rally some frustrated Republicans behind the measure, particularly defense hawks who had hoped to enact record budget increases for the Pentagon this year.

The House was also passed an $81 billion measure to deliver rebuilding aid to hurricane victims in Texas, Florida, Puerto Rico and other parts of the Caribbean as well as fire-ravaged states. But the Senate was unlikely to go along as both Republicans and Democrats want changes.

On Wednesday, House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi sent a letter to her fellow Democrats, urging them to vote against the Republicans' continuing resolution unless concessions are made on her party's priorities.

Pelosi said Democrats must insist on "funding for opioids, veterans, pensions, the [National Institutes of Health] and support for the DREAM Act. Unless we see respect for our values and priorities, we continue to urge a strong NO on the Continuing Resolution."

Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer said he's committed to passing a temporary spending bill crafted in his chamber to prevent a government shutdown this weekend — though he's not yet backing the new House measure. He said he wants bargaining power for a host of issues being punted into next year, including the budget and immigration.

Despite his newfound outrage about the prospect of a government shutdown, Trump has previously been in favor of cutting off funding to federal programs — at least as a negotiating stance.

"If we have to close down our government," Trump said at a campaign rally in August, "we're building that wall."

In May, he tweeted: "Our country needs a good 'shutdown' in September to fix mess!"

Democrats hold leverage in the negotiations because the Senate needs at least some bipartisan support to pass the spending bills. But even if Democrats can shutdown the government down, even for a little while, it may not be in their interest; if the public blames one party over the other for a shutdown, it could face punishment for the tactic at the ballot box.

With Trump, House Speaker Paul Ryan and Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell controlling the main levers of power in Washington, however, Republicans may take the blame for a government shutdown.

But there are many serious consequence above and beyond political fallout — a government shutdown would be no minor inconvenience. It could cost the country billions of dollars in lost economic activity and would likely create hardships for millions of Americans, including veterans, farmers, the sick and the unemployed.

Obviously, the federal government can't close completely. The military would continue to operate and employees considered vital would keep working. Still, many valuable and important functions would be delayed or stopped until Congress and the president come to an agreement. The consequences of a shutdown could include:

• The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the National Institutes of Health and the National Park Service shutting down
• Hundreds of thousands of federal employees get furloughed without pay
• Some workers continue working without a clear payment date
• Unemployment benefits and other government payments face delays
• The country loses money

Read more about what could happen if the government shuts down>>

There's still plenty of time to avert a politically debilitating shutdown of the government. Such a pratfall would detract from the Republican Party's success this week in muscling through its landmark tax bill.

In the last government shutdown in 2013, about 800,000 federal workers were sent home, but received payment retroactively.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

Correction: This story initially misidentified Chuck Schumer's role in the Senate; he is the minority leader.

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