Partial Federal Government Shutdown Possible Next Week

The current continuing resolution (CR) funding seven of the 12 annual appropriations bills expires at midnight next Friday (December 21). If Congress and the White House cannot reach agreement before then, nine cabinet departments and several dozen smaller federal agencies will shutdown.

House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) and Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) met with the President and Vice President earlier this week that was expected to be a private meeting negotiating the final spending bills. Instead, the President invited the press in to the Oval Office to cover the meeting. During that meeting the President said that he would be proud to shut down the government if Congress did not provide the funding he requested for the border wall.

There a few options Congress can consider to avoid a shutdown:

  1. Pass a CR funding the seven bills through December 26
  2. Pass a CR funding the seven bills through January 3 (the first day of the new Congress when Democrats will control the House)
  3. Pass a CR funding the seven bills through early 2019 (January-March)
  4. Pass a CR funding the seven bills for the rest of FY2019
  5. Pass a “minibus” funding six bills and a year-long CR for the DHS bill
  6. Pass a “minibus” funding all seven bills if agreement can be reached on how much funding should be appropriated for a border wall

The House does not return until Wednesday evening next week leaving only two days to pass something and prevent a partial shutdown of the federal government.

House and Senate Delay FY19 Appropriations with New CR

The current FY19 appropriations continuing resolution (CR) was set to expire at midnight tonight. While legislative action was largely paused this week for memorial services for former President George H.W. Bush, the House and Senate were able to clear another CR funding the remaining seven appropriations bills through December 21. The House cleared the new CR through a unanimous consent agreement, and the Senate followed passing it by voice vote. The President signed it into law today.

The CR also extends a number of expiring authorizations including the National Flood Insurance Program, the Violence Against Women Act, and Temporary Assistance for Needy Families

The President’s FY19 budget request submitted to Congress in February of this year requested $1.6B for 65 miles of new border wall system in southern Texas. The Senate has included $1.6B in their FY19 Homeland Security appropriations bill. The President informally increased the request to $5B in a meeting with congressional Republicans in June. A formal budget amendment with details of how the $5B would be spent has not been submitted to Congress. The House included $5B in their FY19 Homeland Security appropriations bill. Senate Appropriations Committee Chairman Richard Shelby (R-AL) has proposed a down payment of $2.5B for the border wall in FY19 followed by another $2.5B in FY20. President Trump has threatened to veto any spending measure that does not include $5B for the wall.

Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) said that Democrats would support one of two options – either an omnibus with the seven remaining bills with the Homeland bill including $1.6B for the wall or a spending package that includes six of the seven remaining FY19 appropriations bills and a full-year CR for the Department of Homeland Security. Schumer and House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) are scheduled to meet with President Trump on Tuesday.

The administration has also submitted to Congress a four-page list that includes $4.76B in FY19 funding anomalies that they would like to see funded in the final FY19 spending bill. These new spending requests include funding for national security reviews of foreign purchases by U.S. businesses, to help combat more frequent wildfire outbreaks, and to care for unaccompanied migrant children in custody. How Congress will be able to accommodate these new funding requests given the funding caps is unclear. The remaining seven House bills are already $736M above their nondefense spending cap for FY19.

FY2019 Full-Year Funding Anomalies Requested by Trump Administration

https://www.vantagepointstrat.com/anomalies/

Subcommittee House Action Senate Action Conference
Agriculture Subcommittee: May 9

Full Committee: May 16

Subcommittee: May 22

Full Committee: May 24

Floor: August 1

 
Commerce Justice Science Subcommittee: May 9

Full Committee: May 17

Subcommittee: June 12

Full Committee: June 14

 
Defense Subcommittee: June 7

Full Committee: June 13

Floor: June 28

Subcommittee: June 26

Full Committee: June 28

Floor: August 23

House Floor: Sept. 26

Senate Floor: Sept. 18

Signed Into Law: Sept. 28 (P.L. 115-245)

Energy & Water Subcommittee: May 7

Full Committee: May 16

Floor: June 8

Subcommittee: May 22

Full Committee: May 24

Floor: June 25

House Floor: Sept. 12

Senate Floor: Sept. 13

Signed Into Law: Sept. 21 (P.L. 115-244)

Financial Services Subcommittee: May 24

Full Committee: June 13

Floor: July 19

Subcommittee: June 19

Full Committee: June 21

Floor: August 1

 
Homeland Security Subcommittee: July 19

Full Committee: July 25

Subcommittee: June 19

Full Committee: June 21

 
Interior Environment Subcommittee: May 15

Full Committee: June 6

Floor: July 19

Subcommittee: June 12

Full Committee: June 14

Floor: August 1

 
Labor HHS Education Subcommittee: June 15

Full Committee: July 11

Subcommittee: June 26

Full Committee: June 28

Floor: August 23

House Floor: Sept. 26

Senate Floor: Sept. 18

Signed Into Law: Sept. 28 (P.L. 115-245)

Legislative Branch Subcommittee: April 26

Full Committee: May 8

Floor: June 8

Full Committee: June 14

Floor: June 25

House Floor: Sept. 12

Senate Floor: Sept. 13

Signed Into Law: Sept. 21 (P.L. 115-244)

Military Construction VA Subcommittee: April 26

Full Committee: May 8

Floor: June 8

Subcommittee: June 5

Full Committee: June 7

Floor: June 25

House Floor: Sept. 12

Senate Floor: Sept. 13

Signed Into Law: Sept. 21 (P.L. 115-244)

State Foreign Operations Subcommittee: June 13

Full Committee: June 20

Subcommittee: June 19

Full Committee: June 21

 
Transportation HUD Subcommittee: May 16

Full Committee: May 23

Subcommittee: June 5

Full Committee: June 7

Floor: August 1