The US government entered a partial shutdown on Saturday after the Senate voted to fund most operations through the end of September. The controversial Homeland Security bill, funding ICE, Border Patrol, and other federal actions, has been given a temporary extension, and Congress has two weeks to debate new restrictions on immigration raids across the country.
Democrats have cited the deaths of Alex Pretti and Renee Nicole Good, both US citizens, in Minneapolis, to explain that they will not vote for the larger spending bill unless Congress considers legislation to unmask agents, require more warrants, and allow local authorities to help investigate any incidents.
In order to avoid another shutdown, President Trump and his administration struck a deal with Democrats to temporarily fund DHS at current levels for two weeks while the negotiations play out. The Senate passed the five-bill funding package on Friday, but it must pass the House again before becoming law. The House is not returning until Monday.
When will the House vote?
The House will try to pass funding legislation on Monday, when lawmakers return. However, the top Democrat in the chamber, Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, has yet to confirm if his party will back the DHS funding legislation.
Democrats “will evaluate the spending legislation passed by the Senate on its merits and then decide how to proceed legislatively," he said.
{{/usCountry}}Democrats “will evaluate the spending legislation passed by the Senate on its merits and then decide how to proceed legislatively," he said.
{{/usCountry}}"The Trump administration must set forth an ironclad path that dramatically reforms ICE and other DHS agencies that the American people know have become lawless and heavy-handed. It is in the best interest of the country that this is done before the Congress reconvenes on Monday evening and legislation is brought to the House floor," Jeffries further added.
Have there been previous brief or weekend shutdowns?
Yes, and typically the effects were not very visible to anyone hoping to use government services.
There were a couple of these in Trump's first administration.
In January 2018, a dispute over immigration protections resulted in a weekend shutdown. Some federal workers were furloughed or worked without pay. Benefits such as Social Security and Medicare were uninterrupted, many people did not notice the shutdown and federal offices reopened the following Monday after a deal was in place.
In February 2018, the shortest shutdown in U.S. history lasted about nine hours, overnight, and most people did not notice any impact. While agencies technically shut down after funding lapsed, it was so brief that furlough notices were not all sent out, and nothing was closed during business hours.
When will the government reopen?
Only after the House passes the legislation will it reach Trump's desk. Once the president signs the document, the shutdown ends.
(With AP inputs)