This week, the government shutdown occurred because a new funding bill was not passed before the old one expired. Without an updated funding bill, the government shuts down.
Why did the funding bill not get passed?
The entirety of the government shutdown revolves around amounting tensions between Republicans and Democrats over the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrival (DACA) program. Vox explains that DACA was enacted in 2012 by Barack Obama to authorize "work permits and deportation protection to unauthorized immigrants who came to the U.S. as minors." At the beginning of the Trump administration, Trump declared that the DACA program would be terminated. However, he later reported that the program would be legalized in the future. Some activists that support the DACA program claimed that progress was moving too slowly. Therefore, the Democrats withheld their votes for federal funding to put the heat on President Trump, launching the government into a stalemate. Fox News reported that Trump tweeted, "The Democrats are turning down services and security for citizens in favor of services and security for non-citizens. Not good!"
How does a government shutdown work?
Vox put out an an article, "7 questions about the government shutdown you were too embarrassed too ask," stating that a government shutdown stops all "nonessential activities." The entire federal government does not shutdown, but all federal employees of these nonessential activities are temporarily shutdown. This poses an issue because these employees do not get paid while they are absent. Shutdowns are largely used for a party to gain their own favorable agenda in Congress.
Response and Effects?
The White House published contingency plans for agencies in case of a shutdown. In response to the government shutdown, many government agency websites were down over the weekend. Federal websites like www.weather.gov had this statement, "Due to the government shutdown, all public National Weather Service activities have been canceled or postponed until further notice. The National Weather Service will continue to provide critical forecast, watch, and warning information to protect life and property throughout the shutdown."
What changed the Democrats' minds?
Republicans knew that they had to offer something to the Democrats for everyone to move forward. Fox News published the article, "Trump signs bill ending government shutdown after three days," affirming that a bipartisan group of senators met on Sunday to discuss some proposals. A super majority was needed to put the funding bill into action, and with only 50 Republican votes, at least a dozen more were needed to secure the bill. The failure of Democratic votes ensued a government shutdown. However, during the bipartisan meeting, an agreement was formed between Republicans and Democrats. CNN's article, "Trump signs bill ending shutdown, official says," asserts that a compromise was made between Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D) and Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R). The settlement suggested continuing government funding until February 8th in exchange for immigration reform.
What now?
The Senate needed 60 votes to continue funding, and an astounding 81 votes reopened the government. The government was restored to its former glory on Tuesday. However,
problems may arise again when Democrats and Republicans clash heads on February 8th. Time will tell if this compromise has been fulfilled, though I suspect it will be another controversy in the political world.
For more information:
Questions answered about the shutdown, Congressman Denny Heck
Furlough guidance for federal employees
~by Emily Hancz
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