Here’s what’s up with the partial government shutdown on Day 22.
WHAT’S NEW TODAY
President Donald Trump tweeted that he’s at the White House waiting for Democrats to come back from their “vacations” to work on a deal to end the shutdown. Both houses of Congress adjourned Friday for the weekend; lawmakers are due back in Washington next week.
The shutdown became the longest in U.S. history, eclipsing a 21-day closure during the Clinton administration.
A brown pelican that landed near docks in Rhode Island will likely remain in the state until after the shutdown because the wildlife group caring for the bird cannot get federal permits it needs to move the pelican across state lines to a more southern location.
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QUOTES OF THE DAY
“Democrats should come back to Washington and work to end the Shutdown, while at the same time ending the horrible humanitarian crisis at our Southern Border. I am in the White House waiting for you!” – President Donald Trump on Twitter.
“He doesn’t really have the authority to make a deal.” – Republican Rep. Mike Simpson of Idaho, about Vice President Mike Pence.
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WHAT’S COMING NEXT?
Congress returns to session next week, but it remained unclear when the shutdown will end.
Trump is expected to sign legislation providing back pay to some 800,000 federal workers who have either been idled or are working without pay for as long as the shutdown lasts.
The economic pain spreads. Fallout from the shutdown is hurting Native Americans as dwindling funds hamper access to health care and other services. In New Mexico, one police officer patrolled a reservation larger in size than Houston on a shift that normally has three people.
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WHAT REMAINS CLOSED
Nine of the 15 Cabinet-level departments have not been funded, including Agriculture , Homeland Security, State, Transportation, Interior and Justice. Some iconic National Park facilities are shuttered as are the Smithsonian museums and the National Zoo in Washington. Nearly everyone at NASA is being told to stay home, as are most at the Internal Revenue Service, which processes tax returns and issues refunds, though the administration says it will issue refunds during the shutdown.
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WHO IS AT WORK BUT NOT GETTING PAID
Some 420,000 federal employees whose work is declared essential are working without pay, including the FBI, TSA and other federal law enforcement officers. Some staff at the State and Homeland Security departments are also working without compensation.
The House and Senate have voted to ensure that all federal employees will be paid retroactively after the partial government shutdown ends. The bill now heads to President Trump, who is expected to sign it.
(AP)
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One Response
All the sudden the degenerate lying adulterer is a great humanitarian! He’s gone from invasion to humanitarian crisis and now he’s making up the biggest invasion ever starting in Honduras.