“Deal or No Deal? Senate Plans Short-Term Solution to Avert Government Shutdown

As the looming threat of a government shutdown approaches, the Senate has moved forward on a short-term deal to avert the potential disruption. The sought-after agreement was reached between the White House and congressional leaders over the weekend, and is expected to fund the government until mid-February. This will allow for additional negotiations which, it is hoped, will lead to a longer-term pact. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky) said late Sunday, “We have a lot to do between now and February 8, but I’m confident we can reach a long-term agreement.” The proposed short-term deal comes after months of back-and-forth between Congress and President Donald Trump, concerning the proposed border wall which has seen them reach an impasse. The dispute has forced the government to partially shut down since Dec. 22, leaving some 800,000 federal workers without pay. However, the Senate voted unanimously on Monday to provide back pay once the government does reopen, with the House of Representatives expected to follow suit. McConnell mentioned the effect of the shutdown on federal workers in his speech, expressing his regret and highlighting the need to find a resolution to this long-standing problem. “We owe it to those workers to end this ignorant shutdown saga and ensure that these brave civil servants won’t have to worry about being paid,” he said. The Senate’s move to strike a deal came on the same day that the President held a press conference at the White House in support of his proposed border wall. This isn’t the first time the President has taken such a stand; he’s made a point of maintaining the impasse and has defiantly claimed the government will stay closed until his demands are met. Many of the President’s supporters have remained unwilling to agree to a resolution that does not include wall funding, making any deal difficult to achieve. Only time will tell whether the President will cave and agree to the short-term deal that is being proposed. If not, the effects of the partial shutdown would eventually be spread wide throughout the country at large.