The government partially shut down at midnight after the House and Senate failed to pass a spending bill. President Trump had insisted he would not sign any spending bill that did not include $5 billion for the border wall.
The partial shutdown won’t have much effect on your holiday plans. The post office will stay open, so gift and holiday card stragglers can still put them in the mail. The Transportation Security Administration (TSA) agents would still work, and air travel would continue virtually unaffected.
Government employees who are considered “essential,” such as Secret Service agents, Customs and Border Patrol agents and U.S. troops deployed at the border, will still be working. But a shutdown creates a risk for hundreds of thousands of federal workers: More than 420,000 federal employees would have to go to work without pay. More than 380,000 will be furloughed. Those who work will get paid eventually – and those furloughed likely will – but depending how long the shutdown lasts, they could miss a paycheck.
Funding that expired at midnight Saturday covers the Department of Homeland Security, the Justice Department, the State Department, the Interior Department, the Departure of Agriculture and the Department of Housing and Urban Development, among some other federal entities.
The Office of Management and Budget — still run by incoming acting White House chief of staff Mick Mulvaney — has issued guidance to each agency, and each agency would develop its own shutdown plan. Federal agencies must halt all “non-essential” discretionary work and so-called non-essential employees must stay home until new funding legislation is signed into law.
Follow along below for live updates:
Shutdown affects routines of 800,000 employees
The disruption affects many government operations and the routines of 800,000 federal employees. Roughly 420,000 workers were deemed essential and will work unpaid just days before Christmas. An additional 380,000 will be furloughed, meaning they will stay home without pay.
Those being furloughed include nearly everyone at NASA and 52,000 workers at the Internal Revenue Service. About 8 in 10 employees of the National Park Service were to stay home; many parks were expected to close.
The Senate passed legislation ensuring that workers will receive back pay. The House seemed sure to follow suit.
Pelosi, Schumer call it “Trump shutdown”
Democratic House leader Nancy Pelosi and Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer issued a joint statement early Saturday calling it the “Trump shutdown.” The statement said that if the shutdown continues into January when Democrats take control of the House, “the new House Democratic majority will swiftly pass legislation to re-open government.”
“Regrettably, America has now entered a Trump Shutdown,” said the statement. “Republicans control the House, the Senate, and the White House. But instead of honoring his responsibility to the American people, President Trump threw a temper tantrum and convinced House Republicans to push our nation into a destructive Trump Shutdown in the middle of the holiday season. President Trump has said more than 25 times that he wanted a shutdown and now he has gotten what he wanted.”
Partial government shutdown begins
The government is officially partially shut down.
A number of departments and agencies are funded through September 2019, thanks to previously passed appropriations bills. Funding that expires after Dec. 21 covers the Department of Homeland Security, the Justice Department, the State Department, the Interior Department, the Departure of Agriculture and the Department of Housing and Urban Development, among some other federal entities.
Mulvaney instructs agencies “to execute plans for an orderly shutdown”
White House budget chief Mick Mulvaney is instructing agencies “to execute plans for an orderly shutdown,” The Associated Press reports.
In a memo for government executives, Mulvaney wrote that they are “hopeful” the “lapse in appropriations will be of short duration.” But employees should report to work when scheduled to “undertake orderly shutdown activities.”
Mulvaney was seen exiting the Capitol on Friday around 8:30 p.m.
Senate adjourns without a deal
Hours after the House ended its session, the Senate adjourned with a deal, meaning the partial shutdown was set to begin at 12:01 a.m. Saturday. Vice President Mike Pence, acting chief of staff Mick Mulvaney and special adviser Jared Kushner were seen exiting the Capitol at 8:39 p.m.
CBS News’ Ed O’Keefe reports that Washington is poised to endure a longer-than-comfortable stalemate — not resolving until later next week at the earliest. There are no signs of a Christmas miracle arriving before Tuesday.
Melania and Barron arrive at Mar-a-Lago
First lady Melania Trump and 12-year-old Barron arrived at Mar-a-Lago, Florida.
Melania Trump’s spokeswoman, Stephanie Grisham, said in a statement that “it has long been the family’s tradition to spend their Christmas holiday at Mar-a-Lago. Her plans to travel with her son to their Florida home for his winter break have not changed this year.”
President Trump had initially planned to leave Friday for a 16-day trip to Mar-a-Lago, but those plans were changed amid the threat of the government shutdown.
Here are the agencies affected
The following agencies will partly close due to the shutdown:
- Department of Homeland Security
- Justice Department
- State Department
- Interior Department
- Departure of Agriculture
- Department of Housing and Urban Development
Many National Parks to remain open
The National Parks will remain “as accessible as possible,” according to National Park Service Chief Spokesperson Jeremy Barnum.
But that doesn’t they will be fully accessible.
“In the event of a government shutdown national parks will remain as accessible as possible while still following all applicable laws and procedures,” Barnum said. “For example, this means that roads that have already been open will remain open (think snow removal) and vault toilets (wilderness type restrooms) will remain open. However services that require staffing and maintenance such as campgrounds and full service restrooms, will not be operating.”
Trump says shutdown will last a “very long time”
Mr. Trump tweeted a shutdown could last a “long time” if it happens.
But White House press secretary Sarah Sanders offered no details Friday morning as to how long a “very long time” could be.”
