FY 2018 Government Shutdown Update - Government Relations Blog Series

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Government Shutdown Update

The government shutdown ended on the evening of Monday, January 22 after less than 72 hours.  The shutdown impacted only a single work day and is unlikely to dramatically derail federal agencies’ program plans.  The shutdown was resolved after a bipartisan group of approximately 30 Senators negotiated a deal to fund the government through February 8.  In exchange, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) has offered his firm commitment to hold a vote on protections for young immigrants, known as “Dreamers,” who came to the country illegally as children but had received protection from deportation through the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program.

In September 2017, President Trump announced that he would phase-out the DACA program over a six-month period.  Although both parties have circulated numerous proposals to address the legal status of the approximately 700,000 dreamers previously protected under DACA, Congress has yet to agree on a clear path forward.  The six-month delay will expire on March 5, 2018.

The short-term spending bill signed by President Trump on Monday night is the fourth Continuing Resolution (CR) in Fiscal Year 2018 and will continue funding federal agencies at FY2017 levels until February 8.  Congress will need to finalize FY18 appropriations – or pass another short-term spending bill – before this latest CR expires on February 8 or the government will shutdown yet again.