Government prepares for shutdown including USDA
The government has begun preparing for a partial shutdown that would include the Agriculture Department in case Congress and the Trump administration do not reach a budget agreement by Friday, the day the current spending bill expires, the Wall Street Journal reported.
The Senate returns to Washington on Monday, but the House will not have votes until 6 p.m. Wednesday. Key lawmakers expect to be negotiating throughout the week, but after the House returns there will be only two days for Congress and the White House to pass a deal and get it signed.
It is possible that President Donald Trump and House conservatives will let the funding lapse if they are not satisfied with the amount of funding for a border wall with Mexico. But analysts have said that it would be bad for the Republican party’s image to shut down the government and leave it for a Democratic-controlled House to end the shutdown in January.