January 10th, 2019: Government Shut Down Now 20 Days

January 10th, 2019

President Trump just departed McAllen, Tx, where he met with border patrol agents and talked about border security.  He is returning now to Washington, DC, as negotiations to reopen parts of the federal government continue. (Democratic lawmakers and Trump are at an impasse over funding for his long-promised border.)

Also today on January 10th, 2019, federal employees held a rally in Washington, D.C.  to end the shutdown.

The government has been shut down for 20 days. A total of 800,000 federal employees have been furloughed or working without pay since December 21st, 2018, and won't receive their next paychecks until the government reopens.

Food Stamps Could Be Affected by Shutdown

The partial government shutdown glided into its third week Saturday with no end in sight. If the government is not reopened before February, millions of Americans who receive benefits from the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) -- the nation's food stamp program -- could have their assistance disrupted.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture, which oversees SNAP at the federal level, is one of the agencies unfunded during the partial government shutdown. Although SNAP is automatically renewed, it has not been allocated funding from Congress beyond January. Congress has appropriated $3 billion in emergency funds for SNAP distribution, but that would not cover all of February's obligations:

https://www.cbsnews.com/news/millions-could-face-severe-cuts-to-food-stamps-due-to-government-shutdown

2019 Veterans Field Guide to Federal Government Shutdown

2019 Veterans Field Guide to Federal Government Shutdown:

https://www.nytimes.com/2019/01/03/us/politics/federal-workers-government-shutdown.html

This includes services NOT impacted and services that ARE impacted.

More Shutdown News January 2019

How Does a Shutdown End if an Agreement is Never Reached?

So right now, as of 3rd January 2019, the US government is shut down, due to disagreements between President & Congress on border security funding. Both sides are in an apparent stalemate. So my question is simply, what happens if neither side backs down? Does the shut-down just go on indefinitely? How does this end?

Answer:

If necessary, Congress can pass a spending bill without the president's support. Currently Trump claims he will veto any bill which doesn't include funding for the wall. However if two-thirds of each chamber of Congress agree, they can override a presidential veto & end the shutdown. The current Senate has already passed a spending bill without funding for Trump's wall once with a veto-proof majority of 100-0. Instead of voting on that bill though, the Republican-lead House of Representatives voted on a different bill with wall funding that was sure to fail in the Senate. The Senate won't change much in the next Congress, but the House of Representatives will have new leadership & can try to pass a similar bill to what has previously passed the Senate. If the Senate votes similarly & the House gets enough votes they can end the shutdown with or without Trump.

Answer:

The government shutdown is caused by a lapse in funding for government operations & agencies.
The Antideficiency Act mandates that the government can't incur "obligations or the making of expenditures (outlays) in excess of amounts available in appropriations or funds". As explained by The Hill, this act "provides the framework for which government functions temporarily cease & how employees are impacted". Thus, the only way to end a government shutdown is to pass appropriations legislation. This can be in the form of a regular appropriations bill (a yearly budget) or a continuing resolution (CR; a short-term funding bill). Without any appropriations legislation passed, the shutdown will continue indefinitely. Currently, both parties are looking to pass a continuing resolution. However, since there was no agreement on the amount of funding to provide for border security, the Senate passed a CR which doesn't include funding for border security while the House passed a CR which includes $5.7 billion for border security. Since there was no agreement between the Senate & the House, the government shutdown continues to date.

https://politics.stackexchange.com/questions/37635/how-does-a-shutdown-end-if-an-agreement-is-never-reached

Some BLM parks in Las Cruces, New Mexico area open, some closed during shutdown:

https://www.lcsun-news.com/story/news/2019/01/02/some-blm-parks-las-cruces-area-open-some-closed-during-shutdown/2468018002

Despite Huge Backlogs, The Government Shutdown Halts Most Immigration Court Hearings:

http://www.kut.org/post/despite-huge-backlogs-government-shutdown-halts-most-immigration-court-hearings 

White House Supports Back Pay When Shutdown Ends:

https://www.thedailybeast.com/white-house-supports-back-pay-when-shutdown-ends-after-saying-most-furloughed-workers-are-democrats

National Mall Scene - Monuments during Shutdown:

https://abcnews.go.com/Politics/god-people-national-mall-scene-symbol-shutdowns-impact/story?id=60118435

Federal workers won't see a check until Jan. 25 at the earliest:

https://www.cbsnews.com/news/government-shutdown-pay-federal-workers-likely-wont-see-cash-until-jan-25-regardless-of-negotiations

The Government Shutdown Won’t Solve the Immigration Crisis:

https://www.theamericanconservative.com/articles/the-government-shutdown-wont-solve-the-immigration-crisis 

Impact of the Government Shutdown on General Aviation: 

https://nbaa.org/aircraft-operations/the-government-shutdown-and-business-aviation/impact-of-the-government-shutdown-on-general-aviation

Agency Contingency Plans for 2015 Shutdown

Below is link to the White House where you can click a link to view your federal agency's Contingency Plan should a government shutdown occur in 2015:

https://www.whitehouse.gov/omb/contingency-plans

Here We Go Again - Another Federal Government Shutdown?

Egads.  Its happening again!

The Obama administration has begun formal preparations for a partial government shutdown next week:

http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/federal-eye/wp/2015/09/22/white-house-starts-shutdown-ball-rolling

The Huffington Post reports that one of the most significant outcomes of the 2013 shutdown was that it led to the temporary closure of the Department of the Interior, which provoked “public outrage” as it meant the closure of National Parks – ruining family vacations, weddings, and costing the government $414 million in lost revenue:

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/interior-department-government-shutdown_55f84e34e4b09ecde1d9d12e

Last week Senate Minority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV) introduced a bill assuring that all of the 2.7 million federal workers eventually would be paid if the government shuts down:

http://www.thefiscaltimes.com/2015/09/21/Another-Government-Shutdown-Washington-Prepares-Nervous-Breakdown 

A government shutdown: What federal employees need to know about their pay and benefits:

http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/federal-eye/wp/2015/09/18/what-happens-to-federal-employee-pay-benefits-in-a-shutdown

The Washington Post published an article on 10/16/13:

"Furloughed employees typically would return on day after shutdown ends"

 Here is a link to this article:

 http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/federal-eye/wp/2013/10/16/furloughed-employees-typically-would-return-on-day-after-shutdown-ends 

Senate Deal to End Shutdown Includes Retroactive Pay

Fed Smith published an article on 10/16/13:

"Senate Deal to End Shutdown Includes Retroactive Pay"

         

Here is a link to this article:

http://www.fedsmith.com/2013/10/16/senate-deal-to-end-shutdown-includes-retroactive-pay

Guidance for Shutdown Furloughs - Office of personnel Management 10-11-13

The Office of Personnel Management has updated the following:

"Guidance for Shutdown Furloughs".

The 10/11/13 version can be found at the link below:

http://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/pay-leave/furlough-guidance/guidance-for-shutdown-furloughs.pdf

Fed-up feds: Many decry 'morale-sucking environment

Federal Times has an article "Fed-up feds: Many decry 'morale-sucking environment" published 10-8-13.

Here is a link to that article:

http://www.federaltimes.com/interactive/article/20131007/AGENCY01/310070009/Fed-up-feds-Many-decry-morale-sucking-environment-

Unfurlough.us: Website Helps Furloughed Employees Start Up Freelance Businesses

Unfurlough.us is a website that connects furloughed federal employees with freelance start-up projects.  Start-up gigs are posted that they can respond to, and freelancers can post their qualifications & resumes in case a company is looking for something specific.

Here is the link to this 10-10-13 article:

http://www.csmonitor.com/Innovation/2013/1010/Government-shutdown-Unfurlough.us-connects-federal-workers-with-start-ups

Two Articles 10-10-13: Deb Default Scenarios & History Stats of Shutdowns

What's the Worst that Could Happen? Seven Debt-default Doomsday Scenarios

http://www.nbcnews.com/business/whats-worst-could-happen-7-debt-default-doomsday-scenarios-8C11366851

History:  frequency & length of shutdowns:

http://www.businessweek.com/articles/2013-10-10/start-getting-ready-for-the-next-government-shutdown

Back Pay Bill in Senate Limbo

GovExec has an article "Back Pay Bill in Senate Limbo".
A link to this article can be found below.

http://www.govexec.com/pay-benefits/2013/10/back-pay-bill-senate-limbo/71531/?oref=dropdown

Backlogs and Worries Grow Among Furloughed Workers

The National Journal has an article "Backlogs and Worries Grow Among Furloughed Workers".
A link to this insightful article is below.

http://www.nationaljournal.com/daily/backlogs-and-worries-grow-among-furloughed-workers-20131007

 BuzzFeed Politics has an article with humor and pictures:  "

Furloughed Government Employees Are Selling Their Possessions On Craigslist For Cash"

Below is the link to this article, which offers some humor in this furlough situation.

http://www.buzzfeed.com/andrewkaczynski/furloghed-government-employees-are-selling-their-possessions

Tips for Furloughed Federal Workers - Filing a Claim

The Federal Department of Labor has a document with information for furloughed federal employees as to how they should prepare and file an umployment claim:

"Tips for Furloughed Federal Workers - Filing a Claim"

The pdf document is found at the link below:

http://www.dol.gov/sequestration/ucfe.pdf

Spouses of Federal Workers Find Furlough -- Well, Weird!

The Mankato Free Press has a good article with some humor in it "Spouses of Federal Workers Find Furlough -- Well, Weird!"
The link to this article is below.

http://mankatofreepress.com/community-news-network/x862178275/Spouses-of-federal-workers-nd-furlough-well-weird

Government shutdown would threaten fragile economy

Click link below for 9-30-13 article:

http://www.politico.com/story/2013/09/government-shutdown-2013-economy-97541.html

Furloughed U.S. Federal Workers Await 1/2-Sized Paycheck

Furloughed U.S. Federal Workers Await 1/2-Sized Paycheck

Click link below for article:

http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2013-10-08/furloughed-u-s-federal-workers-await-half-sized-paycheck.html 

House Unlikely to Pass Debt Ceiling Bill This Week

House Unlikely to Pass Debt Ceiling Bill This Week

Click link below for article:

http://www.politico.com/story/2013/10/house-debt-ceiling-bill-97950.html#ixzz2h52d1hXy