Summary: The government shutdown may end soon.
The government shutdown may be coming to an end. NBC News reported that the House of Representatives is expected to do a vote later today after the Senate passed a spending measure.
The federal government was still closed on Monday, after the official shut down which began on Friday night after the Democrats and Republicans failed to come to an agreement on the budget. The two sides wanted to advance their own agendas and were unable to compromise. Republicans wanted money for things such as national security, and Democrats wanted to protect the children of undocumented immigrants.
The shutdown meant offices such as Social Security and federally-owned places such as parks were closed to the public, and its workers were unable to work and receive pay.
NBC News said that on Monday the Senate passed a measure, 81 to 18, to have a three-week extension of funding.
Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer said that the Democrats agreed to work with the Republicans on a funding impasse that had required Democrat votes to pass. This concession was controversial amongst Democrats, with critics saying that Schumer had caved and that the Republicans will not uphold their end of the bargain.
“After several discussions, offers, counter-offers, the Republican leader and I have come to an arrangement,” Schumer said. “We will vote today to reopen the government to continue negotiating a global agreement, with the commitment that, if an agreement isn’t reached by February 8, the Senate will immediately proceed to consideration of legislation dealing with DACA.”
Democrats are mainly fighting to keep the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program, which allows the children brought over by undocumented immigrants to stay in the United States without fear of deportation. Schumer said that he believes Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell will hold a vote on DACA soon.
McConnell said that he is glad that the government is getting ready to go back to work.
“I think if we learned anything during this process, it’s that a strategy to shut down the government over an issue of illegal immigration is something the American people didn’t understand,” McConnell said. “And would not have understood in the future. So I’m glad we’ve gotten past that and we have a chance now to get back to work.”
The vote heading for the House is expected to pass, according to NBC News.
“In a few hours, the government will reopen,” Schumer said to the New York Times. “We have a lot to do.”