Congress faces a government shutdown if a spending deal isn't reached this week

WASHINGTON – The federal government might be heading for a shutdown at the end of the week if Congress can't agree on a bill to fund the government this week.

Seeking to avoid tough decisions on a spending bill until after the election, Congress punted a key deadline until Friday after passing a bill to keep the government funded at current levels in late September.

Lawmakers have been negotiating a comprehensive bill to fund the government through the next fiscal year, but it might not be ready by the end of this week as Republicans and Democrats resolve their remaining disagreements.

Rather than passing a spending bill this week, however, lawmakers are likely to punt the deadline one week further by voting on a one-week extension of government funding. House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer, D-Md., announced Monday the House would vote on a one-week extension of funding on Wednesday to "keep government open while negotiations continue" on government funding.

What are Congress' options?

Congress has several legislative options to avoid a government shutdown. They could pass what is known as a "continuing resolution," where Congress opts to fund the government at current levels until a certain date, kicking more difficult decisions down the line.

It is possible Congress could agree on a comprehensive funding bill by the end of the week, but with the House scheduled to leave after Thursday and lawmakers indicating work still remains on a spending bill, it is a less likely outcome.

Sen. Patrick Leahy, D-Vt., the top Democrat on the Senate Appropriations Committee, told reporters Thursday that he was frustrated by the pace of negotiations, calling it "ridiculous" lawmakers had not brought a bill to the floor yet.

If the House successfully passes a short-term funding extension, the Senate will have to also pass the stop-gap measure. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell said Monday that the chamber would also vote on the one-week extension this week before it goes to President Donald Trump for his signature.

What if the government shuts down?

Government shutdowns have not exactly been rare under Trump. Over his four years in office, the federal government shut down three times – including the longest-ever shutdown in modern U.S. history.

That shutdown, from December 2018 to January 2019, was 35 days long. It stemmed from a standoff between Congress and the White House over funding for a wall along the southern U.S. border and forced about 800,000 federal government workers to go on furlough or without pay.

If Congress doesn't act by Friday, thousands of government workers considered nonessential would again be furloughed or forced to work without pay until the shutdown ends. A shutdown would likely have ripple effects, affecting everything from air travel to government health agencies handling the coronavirus pandemic.

National parks may close, airport operations could slow as workers are furloughed, and the paralysis could affect the economy, which has been battered by the coronavirus pandemic. The nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office estimated tax revenue was down $2 billion in 2019 because the IRS had halted some operations during the shutdown.

Could COVID-19 stimulus be part of a spending deal?

Congress and the White House have been at an impasse over another coronavirus stimulus package for months, but last week, key lawmakers appeared to make concessions in hopes a bill could pass before both chambers go home for the holidays. Leaders in the House and Senate have restarted discussions and say the best chance in passing any relief is by adding it to the annual spending bill.

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But that would have to happen quickly, because the House is scheduled to leave town at the end of the week.

Both sides have yet to fully agree on a spending deal. Some of the biggest sticking points, according to a Democratic aide, revolve around immigration, as they have in years past – with funding for a wall along the southern border and immigrant detention beds for Immigration and Customs Enforcement – at the center of the dispute. Another hurdle is possibly adding language on police reform after a summer of protests over the killings of unarmed Black people, including George Floyd in Minneapolis.

Both sides then would have to agree come to an agreement on COVID-19 relief. The biggest hurdles revolve around money for state and local governments, a key item Democrats have insisted on, and liability protections for businesses, something Republicans have required in any relief bill. Though there is optimism growing on passing relief, Democrats and Republicans will have to quickly come to a deal so both chambers can pass a bill before Friday's deadline.

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., remained optimistic last week.

"We have the time to do it," she said Friday. "We are going to keep government open."

She added that Congress has the momentum to quickly agree on both a government spending deal and a COVID-19 relief package.

"We'll take the time we need, and we must get it done, and we must get it done before we leave. We cannot leave without it," she said.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Government shutdown will happen if Congress doesn't act by Friday