115th Congress on the budget, 2017-2018

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115th Congress, 2017-2018
Issues
Domestic policy
Key votes • Energy and the environment • Healthcare • Immigration
Economic policy and government regulations
Key votes • Budget • Financial policy • Taxes • Trade
Foreign policy and national security
Key votes • Iran nuclear deal
See also: Federal policy on the budget, 2017-2020

Congress was working on a series of minibus spending bills—bills that package multiple appropriations bills into one bill—to fund the federal government before the new fiscal year began on October 1, 2018. President Donald Trump signed the first minibus, a $147 billion minibus bill that included funding for military construction and veterans’ affairs, the legislative branch, and energy and water, on September 21, 2018.

He signed a second minibus spending bill on September 28, 2018. The $854 billion bill included funding for the Departments of Defense, Health and Human Services (HHS), Labor, and Education. It also included a short-term stopgap bill to fund departments that were not funded through the appropriations process through December 7, 2018.

Legislators are also working on a third minibus spending bill to fund the departments of Interior, Treasury, Agriculture, Transportation, and Housing and Urban Development.[1][2]

Legislators chose not to address funding for the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, including Trump’s request for border wall funding, until after the midterm elections.[1]

This page outlines major events and policy positions of the 115th Congress on the budget. Click on the headlines in the timeline below for more information.

Major events and policy announcements on the budget:

December 7, 2018: Trump signs CR to fund the government

On December 7, 2018, President Donald Trump signed a continuing resolution (CR) to fund the government until December 21, 2018, avoiding a partial shutdown. Congress passed the CR by voice vote the previous day.[3]

The CR extended funding at existing levels for federal government agencies until December 21, 2018, while negotiators worked out a final funding bill. It also extended funding for the National Flood Insurance Program, the Violence Against Women Reauthorization Act of 2013, and the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) block grant.[3]

Sen. Richard Shelby (R-Ala.), the chairman of the Senate Appropriations Committee, said negotiators could come to a resolution about how to fund the government in “15 minutes” if they could strike a deal on Trump’s requested border wall funding. The House’s Department of Homeland Security (DHS) funding bill allocated $5 billion for the border, while the Senate’s included $1.6 billion.[4]

September 28, 2018: Trump signs second minibus spending bill

On September 28, 2018, President Donald Trump signed an $854 billion minibus spending bill that allocated funding for the Departments of Defense, Health and Human Services (HHS), Labor, and Education. It also included a continuing resolution (CR) to fund any unfunded federal agencies through December 7, 2018. The Senate passed the bill by a vote of 93-7 on September 18, 2018. The House passed the bill by a vote of 361-61 on September 26, 2018.[5][6][1][7]

The passage of the bill marked the first time in 22 years that five spending bills—Energy and Water; Legislative Branch; Military Construction and Veterans Affairs; Department of Defense; and Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education—were passed before the beginning of the new fiscal year.[2]

The Department of Defense and Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education Appropriations Act of 2019 included increased funding for Pell Grants, the National Institutes of Health, the opioid epidemic, workforce development training, defense research, and a pay raise for members of the military, among other things.[8]

The bill also contained the Continuing Appropriations Act of 2019, which included funding for unfunded agencies through December 7, 2018. Legislators chose not to address funding for the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, including Trump’s request for border wall funding, until after the midterm elections.[1][2]

Trump criticized the bill for not including border wall funding. On September 20, 2018, he wrote in a tweet, "I want to know, where is the money for Border Security and the WALL in this ridiculous Spending Bill, and where will it come from after the Midterms? Dems are obstructing Law Enforcement and Border Security. REPUBLICANS MUST FINALLY GET TOUGH!" Despite his criticism of the bill, Trump said that he would sign it. He told reporters, "We’re going to keep the government open."[9][6]

House Republicans, including House Appropriations Committee chairman Rodney Frelinghuysen (R-N.J.), praised the bill for funding the U.S. Department of Defense. Frelinghuysen said, “The Department of Defense is now set to receive its full funding on time for the first time in over 10 years.”[6]

House Democrats praised the bill for funding domestic programs. Rep. Nita Lowey (D-N.Y.) commented on the bill, saying, “Just as important is what this bill does not include, the unnecessary partisan riders that caused House Democrats to oppose Labor-HHS in the appropriations committee." Lowey was alluding to the fact that a provision that would have taken away funds from Planned Parenthood was not included in the bill, according to The Hill.[6]

On September 21, 2018, Trump signed the first minibus bill. The $147 billion minibus included spending bills for military construction and veterans’ affairs, the legislative branch, and energy and water. Legislators were working on a third minibus spending bill to fund the departments of Interior, Treasury, Agriculture, Transportation, and Housing and Urban Development.[1][2]

Vote breakdown

Six Republican senators—Jeff Flake (Ariz.), Mike Lee (Utah), Rand Paul (Ky.), David Perdue (Ga.), Ben Sasse (Neb.), and Pat Toomey (Pa.)—voted with Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) against the conference report bill. The original Senate version passed by a vote of 85-7 on August 23, 2018.[10][11]

One hundred and eighty-five Democrats and 176 Republicans voted for the conference report bill. Fifty-six Republicans and five Democrats voted against the bill. The original House version passed by a vote of 359-49 on June 28, 2018.[12]

September 21, 2018: Trump signs first minibus spending bill

On September 21, 2018, President Donald Trump signed a $147 billion minibus bill that included funding for military construction and veterans’ affairs, the legislative branch, and energy and water. While speaking at the North Las Vegas VA Medical Center where he signed the bill, Trump spoke about how the bill would help veterans. He said, “I’m honored to be [sic] to sign into law a historic government funding bill that will renovate our nation’s military bases and provide great world-class care to our great veterans. With this funding bill, we’ve increased the VA’s budget to the largest ever. We are delivering the resources needed to fully implement crucial VA reforms that, as you know, we’ve gotten.”[13]

The House passed the compromise version of the bill by a vote of 377-20 on September 13, 2018. The previous day, on September 12, 2018, the Senate approved the minibus by a vote of 92-5. It included the following:[14][15][16][17]

  • Military Construction, Veterans Affairs, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 2019: $98 billion for military construction and veterans affairs, including funding for maintenance costs for Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) hospitals and clinics, and mental healthcare and suicide prevention, among other things.
  • Energy and Water Development and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 2019: $44.6 billion for energy and water, including funding for nuclear weapons complexes, waterways, and renewable energy, among other things.
  • Legislative Branch Appropriations Act, 2019: $4.8 billion for the legislative branch, including funding for congressional interns and funding to conduct studies on gender and racial pay equity among congressional staffers, among other things.

The minibus was the first appropriations bill Congress passed before the start of the new fiscal year since 2007, according to The Hill.[17]

Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) said that the vote was “another step forward on regular appropriations. These are national priorities with local impacts that will be felt in every one of our states.”[18]

June 25, 2018: Senate passes first minibus spending bill

On June 25, 2018, the Senate approved a $146.6 billion minibus that included three appropriations bills—Energy and Water, Legislative Branch, and Military Construction and Veterans Affairs—by a vote of 86-5. The bill passed the House on June 8, 2018, and was sent back to appropriators to work out the differences with the Senate's version. The bill proposed funding for the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, energy infrastructure, and legislative bodies, including the Senate and the Government Accountability Office.[19]

Senators said the minibus bill demonstrated a bipartisan consensus. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R) said, "The process thus far has been governed by levelheaded bipartisanship." Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) agreed that the bill was passed "in a bipartisan way, through regular order, something the Senate hasn’t achieved in some time."[19][20]

June 8, 2018: House passes first minibus spending bill

On June 8, 2018, the House passed a $144.5 billion minibus that included three appropriations bills—Energy and Water, Legislative Branch, and Military Construction and Veterans Affairs—by a vote of 235-179. The bill proposed funding for the U.S. Department of Energy, water development programs, nuclear programs, the legislative branch, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, and the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, among other programs, for fiscal year 2019.[21][22][23]

House Appropriations Committee Chairman Rodney Frelinghuysen (R-N.J.) expressed his support for the bill, saying, “These bills provide funding to rebuild our military infrastructure, support military families, improve nuclear security, support our nation’s energy and water infrastructure, and assure the smooth and safe operations the Legislative Branch.”[23]

House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) urged her colleagues to vote against the bill, saying on the House floor, “It’s so close to doing a better job for the American people. Those poison pills take it in a bad direction. The process under which it was put forth is harmful to other priorities.” Democrats said that the increases in security-related programs would result in domestic programs not receiving enough funding.[24]

June 7, 2018: House passes budget rescission

On June 7, 2018, the House passed the White House’s $15.4 billion rescission request by a vote of 210-206, along party lines. HR 3—the Spending Cuts to Expired and Unnecessary Programs Act—proposed revoking previously approved government funding. The bill proposed the following rescissions:[25][26][27][28][29]

  • $7 billion from the Children’s Health Insurance Program;
  • $4.3 billion from the Advanced Technology Vehicles Manufacturing Loan Program;
  • $523 million from the Title 17 Innovative Technology Loan Guarantee Program;
  • $800 million from the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Innovation;
  • $252 million in excess funds remaining from the 2015 Ebola outbreak response;
  • $133 million from the Railroad Unemployment Insurance Extended Benefits program; and
  • $148 million from the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service.

House Republicans supported the bill because they said it would reduce wasteful government spending. House Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) said, “The President’s rescissions request is a straightforward approach to begin cleaning up a bloated federal budget and respecting hardworking taxpayer dollars.” House Budget Committee Chairman Rep. Steve Womack (R-Ark.) said, “I urge my colleagues to support this modest effort on the discretionary side, but I caution that a sustainable and prosperous fiscal future is contingent on addressing the mandatory side of spending. And the longer Congress takes, the more difficult those solutions will be.”[30]

Democrats opposed the bill because it proposed taking back funding from the Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP), and they said that it could hurt job creation. Rep. Nita Lowey (D-N.Y.), the ranking member on the House Appropriations Committee, said, “The nearly $15 billion in rescissions cut numerous efforts to create jobs, grow our economy, and strengthen our communities. It cuts funding for the economic development administration, and for community development financial institutions. Both of which create jobs in rural areas and distress communities.”[30]

Citing a nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office (CBO) report, House Majority Whip Steve Scalise (R-La.) said that children would not lose their insurance if the bill passed. He said, “I know some of my colleagues on the other side are feigning concern over the Children's Health Insurance Program and most of them, by the way, voted against the funding for the CHIP program in the first place when the bill was before Congress to full funding. In fact, we overfunded the CHIP program, and so as that surplus money was identified, we made sure that that money will be able to be used to reduce the deficit and go to other things.”[30]

The CBO’s analysis found that the rescissions package would not result in the loss of healthcare coverage for children. It also found that the package would have little impact on spending because the funds were unobligated or associated with expired programs. The CBO report said that the bill would cut about $1.1 billion in spending over a decade.[30]

It was unclear if the Senate would take up the bill. If the upper chamber passed the bill, it would be the largest rescission request to pass since 1974 and the first since 2000.[30]

April 12, 2018: House rejects balanced budget amendment

On April 12, 2018, the House rejected a balanced budget amendment to the Constitution by a vote of 233-184. It needed a two-thirds majority for passage. The legislation proposed requiring Congress to not spend more than the federal government collects in revenue.[31][32][33]

Rep. Bob Goodlatte (R-Va.), the sponsor of the resolution, said on the House floor before the vote, "The only way to ensure that Congress acts with fiscal restraint over the long term is to pass a balanced budget amendment."[34]

Rep. Jim McGovern (D-Mass.) opposed the legislation, saying, "This balanced budget amendment is supposed to trick people into believing Republicans still care about fiscal responsibility. At every turn, House Republicans favor the well-off and well-connected, while ignoring the needs of those in the middle and working class and are certainly turning their backs on those struggling in poverty.”[33]

Rep. Thomas Massie (R-Ky.) said that voting on the balanced budget amendment shortly after approving the $1.3 trillion spending bill was "the definition of audacity.”[34]

The vote came after the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office said that the federal deficit would exceed $1 trillion by 2020.[34]

March 23, 2018: Trump signs $1.3 trillion spending bill

On March 23, 2018, President Donald Trump signed a $1.3 trillion spending bill into law. The bill included $695 billion in defense funding and $591 billion in non-defense funding. It also included $78 billion in Overseas Contingency Operations (OCO) spending. The Senate passed the bill by a vote of 65-32 on March 23, 2018. Thirty-nine Democrats, 25 Republicans, and Sen. Angus King (I-Maine) voted for the bill. Twenty-three Republicans, eight Democrats, and Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) voted against the bill. The House passed the bill by a vote of 256-167 on March 22, 2018. One hundred and forty-five Republicans and 111 Democrats voted for the bill. Ninety Republicans and 77 Democrats voted against the bill.[35][36][37][38]

While signing the bill, Trump said,

" As a matter of national security, I’ve signed this omnibus budget bill. There are a lot of things that I’m unhappy about in this bill. There are a lot of things that we shouldn’t have had in this bill, but we were, in a sense, forced — if we want to build our military — we were forced to have. There are some things that we should have in the bill.

But I say to Congress: I will never sign another bill like this again. I’m not going to do it again. Nobody read it. It’s only hours old. Some people don’t even know what is in — $1.3 trillion — it’s the second largest ever. President Obama signed one that was actually larger, which I’m sure he wasn’t too happy with either.

But, in this case, it became so big because we need to take care of our military, and because the Democrats, who don’t believe in that, added things that they wanted in order to get their votes. We have to get rid of the filibuster rule. We have to get rid of the filibuster rule, and go to 51 votes in the Senate, if we’re going to have really sustained, continued success.

DACA recipients have been treated extremely badly by the Democrats. We wanted to include DACA. We wanted to have them in this bill — 800,000 people. And actually, it could even be more. And we wanted to include DACA in this bill. The Democrats would not do it. They would not do it.

To prevent the omnibus situation from ever happening again, I’m calling on Congress to give me a line-item veto for all government spending bills. And the Senate must end. They must end the filibuster rule and get down to work. We have to get a lot of great legislation approved. And without the filibuster rule, it will happen just like magic.[40]

”

Earlier in the day, he had threatened to veto the bill. He wrote in a tweet, "I am considering a VETO of the Omnibus Spending Bill based on the fact that the 800,000 plus DACA recipients have been totally abandoned by the Democrats (not even mentioned in Bill) and the BORDER WALL, which is desperately needed for our National Defense, is not fully funded."[41]

Negotiators in the House and Senate spent a month and a half working on the bill since a budget deal was signed into law by Trump on February 9, 2018.[37]

A breakdown of what was included and excluded in the bill appears below.[42]

What was in the spending bill?[42][37]

  • An $80 billion annual increase for the U.S. Department of Defense.
  • A 2.4 percent pay raise for members of the military.
  • $21 billion for infrastructure projects.
  • $380 million for technology grants for state election security systems.
  • Funding for the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) to combat Russian cyberattacks.
  • Cuts to the United Nations’ global peacekeeping missions, the United States Agency for International Development, and other economic assistance efforts.
  • $1.6 billion for border security, including $641 million for 33 miles of new fences or levees along the U.S.-Mexico border and $630 million for repairs and technology enhancements. The funding cannot be used for detention beds for individuals residing in the country illegally or to hire new ICE deportation agents.
  • Funding increases for federal transportation accounts.
  • $541 million for the New York-New Jersey Gateway rail and tunnel system.
  • A fix for the grain glitch in the tax law. According to Politico, "The grain glitch lowers the tax bills of farmers who sell grain to cooperatives but at the expense of other farmers."
  • A temporary boost in the Low-Income Housing Tax Credit.
  • The Fix NICS proposal to improve the national background check system for gun purchases.
  • School safety grants to guard against mass shootings.
  • Removal of legislation that barred the CDC researching gun violence as a public health threat.
  • $4 billion for the opioid crisis.
  • A temporary extension in Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) funding.

What was excluded from the spending bill?[42]

The Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget said that the spending bill combined with the tax bill that approved $1.5 trillion tax cuts would result in deficits over a trillion by 2019.[37]

Congressional leadership claims victories in spending bill

Republican leadership praised the bill for increasing military funding. House Speaker Paul Ryan (R-Wis.) said, “We have the greatest fighting force in the world but we have asked them to do so much more with so much less for so long. Today we begin to reverse that damage.” Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) said, “First and foremost, in my view, this bill will mark the end of disproportionate and harmful cuts to Department of Defense funding. It delivers the largest year-on-year increase in defense spending in fifteen years.”[37][43]

Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) also praised the bill saying, “We Democrats are really happy with what we were able to accomplish on a number of priorities. ... This spending agreement brings the era of austerity to an unceremonious end.”[43]

Conservatives and liberals criticize content of the bill

Conservative members of the House Freedom Caucus criticized the bill for adding to the national debt and not providing funding for the border wall. Speaking about the Gateway Project and the border wall, House Freedom Caucus Chairman Mark Meadows (R-N.C.) said, "It’s troubling that we get a tunnel, but we don’t get a wall. The last time I checked, the president didn’t make any promises about getting a tunnel at any of his campaign stops."[42]

Liberal members of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus opposed the bill because it did not provide a pathway to citizenship for Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) recipients, sometimes referred to as Dreamers. Rep. Luis Gutierrez (D-Ill.) said, “They can pat themselves on the back as much as they want; the fact is there’s going to be more enforcement in this bill. I just think the Dreamers were thrown under the omnibus.”[37]

Members criticize the process

Some members of Congress criticized congressional leadership for not giving members enough time to read the 2,232-page bill. It was released in the evening on March 21, 2018, and the House held its first vote on the bill the following day. According to The Hill, "A large numbers of [House] conservative Republicans were among those voting no over the measure’s massive price tag and the lack of transparency in the bill-writing process."[37]

Sen. John Kennedy (R-La.), who expressed displeasure with the late release of the 2,232-page bill said, "This is a great dane-sized whiz down the leg of every taxpayer."[43]

Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.), who threatened to hold up a vote on the bill, wrote in a tweet featuring a picture of him holding the bill, "Well here it is, all 2,232 budget-busting pages. The House already started votes on it. The Senate is expected to soon. No one has read it. Congress is broken..."[44]

Sen. Bob Corker (R-Tenn.) said that he was discouraged by the process for considering the bill. He said, “I could not be more discouraged about where we are today with our adult leadership here in Congress and at the White House. This is one of the most grotesque pieces of legislation I can remember. In the future [we should] either finish our business at a normal time or come back the next morning. This is a ridiculous process that we go through where people extort us until we get so tired that we're willing to do whatever."[43]

February 9, 2018: Trump signs budget deal

On February 9, 2018, President Donald Trump signed a bill to fund the government until March 23, 2018, while lawmakers wrote a $1.3 trillion omnibus spending bill for the remainder of fiscal year 2018. Congressional leaders were able to negotiate a budget deal that increased federal spending by almost $300 billion over two years above limits set by the 2011 Budget Control Act. It increased defense spending by $80 billion for the remainder of fiscal year 2018, included $85 billion for fiscal year 2019, and $140 billion over two years for the Overseas Contingency Operations (OCO) fund. Domestic spending increased by $63 billion for the remainder of fiscal year 2018 and $68 billion for fiscal year 2019. Additionally, it suspended the debt ceiling through March 1, 2019.[45][46]

The Senate passed the bill by a vote of 71-28. Thirty-six Democrats, 34 Republicans, and Sen. Angus King (I-Maine) voted for the bill. Sixteen Republicans, 11 Democrats, and Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) voted against the bill.[47]

The House passed the bill by a vote of 240-186. One hundred and sixty-seven Republicans and 73 Democrats voted for the bill. One hundred and nineteen Democrats and 67 Republicans voted against the bill.[48]

After the bill passed in both chambers, House Speaker Paul Ryan (R-Wis.) and Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) both called the bill a victory. Ryan said, “This is a great victory for our men and women in uniform. Republicans and Democrats joined together to finally give our troops the resources and our generals the certainty to plan for the future." Schumer said, “What makes Democrats proudest of this bill is that after a decade of cuts to programs that help the middle class, we have a dramatic reversal. Funding for education, infrastructure, fighting drug abuse, and medical research will all, for the first time in years, get very significant increases, and we have placed Washington on a path to deliver more help to the middle class in the future.”[49]

The vote in the Senate came after a temporary lapse in funding. Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.) prevented the upper chamber from voting on the budget deal struck by congressional leaders because he opposed the increases in spending that would be ushered in by the bill. Because Paul objected to a vote on the bill, the Senate was not able to vote on a motion to proceed to the budget bill before Friday, February 9, 2018, at 12:01 a.m. when the previous continuing resolution to fund the government expired.

The bill also faced uncertainty in the House after House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) urged Democrats to oppose the bill because it did not include a legislative fix for the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program. Ultimately, enough Democrats joined Republicans to pass the bill.[49]

Ryan said that the House would take up DACA as a separate piece of legislation. He said, "I know that there is a real commitment to solving the DACA challenge in both political parties. That's a commitment that I share. If anyone doubts my intention to solve this problem and bring up a DACA and immigration reform bill, do not. We will bring a solution to the floor, one the president will sign."[49]

After signing the bill, Trump wrote in a series of tweets, "Just signed Bill. Our Military will now be stronger than ever before. We love and need our Military and gave them everything — and more. First time this has happened in a long time. Also means JOBS, JOBS, JOBS! Without more Republicans in Congress, we were forced to increase spending on things we do not like or want in order to finally, after many years of depletion, take care of our Military. Sadly, we needed some Dem votes for passage. Must elect more Republicans in 2018 Election! Costs on non-military lines will never come down if we do not elect more Republicans in the 2018 Election, and beyond. This Bill is a BIG VICTORY for our Military, but much waste in order to get Dem votes. Fortunately, DACA not included in this Bill, negotiations to start now!"[50]

February 8, 2018: Paul holds up budget deal vote, leading to a lapse in appropriations

On February 8, 2018, Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.) prevented the Senate from voting on the budget deal struck by congressional leaders because he opposed the increases in spending that would be ushered in by the bill. Paul said, "I ran for office because I was very critical of President Obama's trillion-dollar deficits. Now we have Republicans hand-in-hand with Democrats offering us trillion-dollar deficits."[51]

A spokesperson for Paul said, “All Senator Rand Paul is asking for is a 15-minute vote on his amendment to restore the budget caps. He is ready to proceed at any time.” If the amendment passed, negotiators would have had to create a new budget deal.[52]

Paul was able to prevent a vote on the budget deal because of the Senate’s rules. On Wednesday, February 7, 2018, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) filed a motion to end debate on the budget deal. Normally, lawmakers have to wait one day before they can vote to cut off debate. If all 100 senators agree, the chamber can proceed to a vote without waiting one day. Because Paul continued his speech on the Senate floor and objected to a vote on the bill, the Senate was not able to vote to proceed to the budget bill before Friday, February 9, 2018, at 12:01 a.m. when the previous continuing resolution expired.[52]

After it became apparent that Congress would not pass a bill to keep the government funded by the deadline, the White House Office of Management and Budget (OMB) directed federal agencies to prepare for a lapse in funding.[53]

February 8, 2018: Senate rejects House-passed continuing resolution

On February 8, 2018, the Senate rejected a motion to proceed to a vote on the continuing resolution CR passed by the House by a vote of 55-44. It needed 60 votes to pass. It would have funded the government until March 23, 2018. It also included funding for the U.S. Department of Defense through the end of the fiscal year; two years of funding for community health centers; and funding for several expiring Medicare programs.[54]

Most Democrats opposed the CR because it included a funding for the military without equal funding for domestic programs. Sen. Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) said, "To say our military needs help to the exclusion of all the other worthy causes is not fair to them and not good for America, and I have always argued [that] we can do both."[55]

February 7, 2018: Congressional leaders announce two-year budget deal

On February 7, 2018, congressional leaders announced that they had completed a two-year budget deal that would increase federal spending by almost $300 billion over two years above limits set by the 2011 Budget Control Act. It would increase defense spending by $80 billion for the remainder of the fiscal year, include $85 billion for fiscal year 2019, and $140 billion over two years for the Overseas Contingency Operations (OCO) fund. Domestic spending would increase by $63 billion for the remainder of the fiscal year and $68 billion for fiscal year 2019. Additionally, it would suspend the debt ceiling through March 1, 2019.[45]

Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) said, “This bill is the product of extensive negotiations among congressional leaders and the White House. No one would suggest it is perfect, but we worked hard to find common ground.”[45]

Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) said, “After months of legislative logjams, this budget deal is a genuine breakthrough.”[45]

Specific elements of the spending deal appear below:[56]

  • $6 billion over two years to fight the opioid epidemic and for mental-health issues
  • $4 billion over two years to rebuild and improve veterans’ hospitals and clinics
  • $2 billion over two years for National Institutes of Health research
  • $20 billion over two years for infrastructure improvements
  • $4 billion for college affordability programs
  • Increases funding for community health centers for two years
  • Reauthorizes the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP) for ten years
  • Almost $90 billion in disaster aid

President Donald Trump praised the deal in the following tweet: "The Budget Agreement today is so important for our great Military. It ends the dangerous sequester and gives Secretary Mattis what he needs to keep America Great. Republicans and Democrats must support our troops and support this Bill!"[57]

The budget deal was criticized by conservative Republicans for increasing spending. Rep. Mo Brooks (R-Ala.) said, “This is a debt junkie’s spending bill." Most members of the House Freedom Caucus were expected to vote against the bill.[45]

The deal was also criticized by some House Democrats because it does not include legislation to address the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program.[45]

February 6, 2018: House passes continuing resolution to fund the government

On February 6, 2018, the House passed a continuing resolution (CR) to fund the government until March 23, 2018, by a vote of 245-182. It included funding for the U.S. Department of Defense through the end of the fiscal year; two years of funding for community health centers; and funding for several expiring Medicare programs. It was the fifth short-term funding bill passed by the House since the beginning of the fiscal year on October 1, 2017.[58]

According to The Hill, including defense spending for the rest of the fiscal year was "designed to win over support from conservative hard-liners and defense hawks in the House GOP conference who were threatening to oppose the stopgap bill."[58]

On February 8, 2018, the Senate rejected a motion to proceed to a vote on the CR by a vote of 55-44. It needed 60 votes to pass.[59]

January 2018 government shutdown

For a full recap and analysis of the shutdown, see: Federal government shutdown, January 2018

On January 22, 2018, President Donald Trump signed a continuing resolution (CR) to fund the government until February 8, 2018, to end a three-day government shutdown. Who was responsible for the shutdown? How did it end? Read on to find out.

Who was responsible for the shutdown?

Public opinion polls

According to a POLITICO/Morning Consult poll conducted January 20 to January 21, 35 percent blamed congressional Democrats for the shutdown, 34 percent blamed President Donald Trump, and 15 percent blamed congressional Republicans. A combined 48 percent of respondents blamed Trump and Republicans.[60]

According to an NBC News SurveyMonkey poll conducted from January 20 to January 22, 39 percent blamed congressional Democrats for the shutdown, 38 percent blamed Trump, and 18 percent blamed congressional Republicans. NBC News noted that when Trump’s numbers and congressional Republicans’ numbers were taken together, “the poll shows that a slight majority of Americans — 56 percent — blame the president and his party.”[61]

It was unclear what impact, if any, the shutdown would have on the 2018 elections. Washington Post reporter Paul Kane offered some historical context, writing, “Just because one side gets most of the blame when agencies go into partial shutdown and furlough hundreds of thousands of federal workers is no guarantee that side will pay a political price in the next set of elections. House Republicans, after all, retained their majority after they drove the unpopular 1996 shutdown and increased their majority in 2014.”[62]

Congressional Democrats: Trump is to blame for the "Trump shutdown"; so are Republicans

Democrats said that the shutdown was President Donald Trump’s fault, calling it the “Trump Shutdown.” Some Democrats also blamed Republicans, noting that they were in control of the White House, Senate, and House.

On January 20, 2018, during a press conference, Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) discussed how negotiations on a funding and DACA deal fell through with Trump. He said, "Negotiating with this White House is like negotiating with jello, it is next to impossible. It's next to impossible to strike a deal with the President, because he can't stick to the terms. I have found this out, Leader McConnell has found this out, Speaker Ryan has found this out."[63]

Sen. Ben Cardin (D-Md.) echoed Schumer’s criticism of Trump, saying, “How do you negotiate with someone you don’t know where they’re going to be the day after you leave their office? So it’s tough.”[62]

Democrats also blamed Republicans for the shutdown because they control the House, Senate, and White House. Schumer said, “Every American knows the Republican Party controls the White House, the Senate, the House. It’s their job to keep the government open.”[64]

During an interview with NBC’s Chuck Todd, Senate Minority Whip Dick Durbin (D-Ill.) blamed Republicans and Trump for the shutdown. He said, “The Republicans control the White House. The Republicans control the Senate. The House of Representatives and through their nominees, even the U.S. Supreme Court. What we're trying to do is to find a solution to a shutdown which we believe is a Trump shutdown. … When the president said on January 9th, and I was sitting right next to him, 'You send me a bill to solve the problem' that he created on DACA, 'I'll sign it. I'll take the political heat.' Within 48 hours, Lindsey Graham, Republican South Carolina and I presented that bill to him. He rejected it out of hand. This last Friday, when Chuck Schumer was invited to the White House, he sat down with the president over lunch. There were two other people in the room. They hammered out an agreement where Chuck Schumer made major concessions on one of the major issues, the president's wall. Within two hours the White House called and said, 'That deal is off.' So if you wonder what kind of shutdown it is and who's to blame, the president in both instances could've stepped forward to show leadership.”[65]

Congressional Republicans: Democrats are to blame for the "Schumer shutdown"

Congressional Republicans blamed Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) for the shutdown, calling it the “Schumer Shutdown.” Republicans argued that Schumer encouraged Democrats to vote against a bill that would have temporarily funded the government and included elements that his party has been supportive of, including CHIP funding and delaying healthcare taxes, in order to force Republicans to negotiate a DACA fix. They noted that the DACA program would not expire until March 5, 2018, and did not need an immediate fix. Members of the GOP also accused Democrats of hurting national security by not funding the military and noted that members of the military would not receive pay during the shutdown. They accused Democrats of prioritizing DACA recipients over service members.

On January 20, 2018, during a speech on the Senate floor, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) criticized Democrats for what he characterized as their choice to prioritize a DACA fix over funding the government. He said, “Fewer than half of Democrats say that dealing with DACA is more urgent than keeping the government open. I think our friends on the other side took some bad advice, really bad advice. I would hate to have to be trying to explain this myself.”[66]

On January 21, 2018, during an interview with CBS News' John Dickerson, Speaker of the House Paul Ryan (R-Wis.) also criticized Democrats for shutting down the government because of DACA. He said, "We're waiting for the Senate Democrats to open the government back up. This is solely done by the Senate Democrats. It's absolutely meaningless. They shut down the government over a completely unrelated issue. And the bill that they're opposing is a bill that they support which is just baffling to us. Children's health insurance, funding for our troops, keeping the government going. They shut it down over an unrelated immigration issue with a deadline weeks away. And what's- what's so baffling about this was we were negotiating in good faith on DACA all the same. We actually want to solve this problem. So it's not as if we were saying, 'No way, no how. No discussions.' They blew up the negotiations that were already underway. "[67]

White House: Democrats are to blame for the "Schumer shutdown"

President Donald Trump and members of his administration placed the blame for the "Schumer shutdown" on Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) and congressional Democrats. The administration blamed Democrats for what they characterized as prioritizing DACA recipients over national security and military families.

On January 19, 2018, after the Senate failed to pass the continuing resolution to fund the government, White House press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders said in a statement, “Senate Democrats own the Schumer Shutdown. Tonight, they put politics above our national security, military families, and our country’s ability to serve all Americans.”[64]

On January 20, 2018, President Donald Trump wrote in a tweet, "Democrats are far more concerned with Illegal Immigrants than they are with our great Military or Safety at our dangerous Southern Border. They could have easily made a deal but decided to play Shutdown politics instead. #WeNeedMoreRepublicansIn18 in order to power through mess!"[68]

The following day, Trump called on Senate Republicans to change the rules of the Senate in order to end the shutdown. He wrote in a tweet, "Great to see how hard Republicans are fighting for our Military and Safety at the Border. The Dems just want illegal immigrants to pour into our nation unchecked. If stalemate continues, Republicans should go to 51% (Nuclear Option) and vote on real, long term budget, no C.R.’s!" The nuclear option would have allowed the Senate to pass legislation with a simple majority of 51 votes, rather than 60 votes. Under those rules, Senate Republicans, who held 51 seats, would have been able to pass the continuing resolution without support from Democrats.[69]

On January 21, 2018, during an interview on Fox News, Office of Management and Budget Director Mick Mulvaney said, “Only five Democrats voted for a bill that they like. Let's not lose sight of that. The Democrats have voted, they like the CHIP program. They like delaying the ObamaCare Cadillac tax program. They like funding the government. They always have. They do not oppose the bill. This is pure politics on their part. Where the Democrats who say one thing back home and do another? That's what we are focusing on.”[70]

On January 22, 2018, after Schumer struck a deal with McConnell to end the shutdown, Trump tweeted, "Big win for Republicans as Democrats cave on Shutdown. Now I want a big win for everyone, including Republicans, Democrats and DACA, but especially for our Great Military and Border Security. Should be able to get there. See you at the negotiating table!"[71]

How did the shutdown end?

In order to get Democrats to vote for the continuing resolution to fund the government, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) promised Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) that the Senate would consider DACA legislation on the Senate floor and allow an open amendment process, if negotiators were unable to work out a larger deal by February 8, 2018. Speaking about DACA and border security, McConnell said, "Should these issues not be resolved by the time the funding bill before us expires on Feb. 8, 2018, assuming the government remains open, it would be my intention to proceed to legislation that would address DACA, border security and related issues."[72]

Schumer did not secure that same promise from Speaker of the House Paul Ryan (R-Wis.), so it was unclear if the Senate legislation would get a vote in the House.

What happened after the shutdown ended?

Lawmakers had until February 8, 2018, to fund the government, otherwise, it would have shut down again. Members of Congress needed to negotiate a final, long-term budget deal and agree on a legislative fix for the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program. Lawmakers were also considering how to address disaster aid to those impacted by hurricanes and wildfires; stabilizing private insurance markets established under the Affordable Care Act (ACA); and the opioid epidemic. Click here for more on the budget negotiations.

What was holding up a final budget deal?

The two major issues that held up a final budget deal were budget caps and a legislative fix for the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program (DACA).

Budget caps: Most Democrats and Republicans wanted to raise budget caps, which put a limit on how much could be spent on defense and domestic programs. Budget caps for 2018 were set at $549 billion for defense spending and $516 billion for domestic discretionary spending. Most Republicans wanted an increase in defense spending without an equal increase in domestic spending. Democrats wanted an equal increase in defense spending and domestic spending.

Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) said, "Any agreement must provide our armed forces with the resources they need to fulfill their missions. That means setting aside the misguided notion that new defense spending needs to be matched dollar for dollar by new nondefense spending."[73]

Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) said, “We Democrats believe our soldiers abroad should get the funding they need. We also believe there are real domestic needs that cannot be ... neglected.”[73]

DACA/ Immigration reform: On September 5, 2017, the Trump administration announced that it would end the DACA program on March 5, 2018. The program was established under the Obama administration and provided temporary relief from deportation for individuals who were brought without legal permission to the United States as children. Democrats wanted legal protections for DACA recipients. The Trump administration created a list of priorities that “must be included as part of any legislation” addressing DACA recipients. According to a report from The Wall Street Journal, the priorities included $18 billion to construct more than 700 miles of new and replacement barriers along the U.S.-Mexico border; an end to chain migration; an end to the diversity-visa lottery; changes to the asylum system; mandatory use of the e-Verify system; and $33 billion in new border security spending over 10 years.[74]

Lawmakers were also considering how to address disaster aid to those impacted by hurricanes and wildfires; stabilizing private insurance markets established under the Affordable Care Act (ACA); and the opioid epidemic.

January 22, 2018: Trump signs continuing resolution, ending government shutdown

On January 22, 2018, President Donald Trump signed a continuing resolution (CR) to fund the government until February 8, 2018, to end a three-day government shutdown.

In a statement, Trump said, "I am pleased that Democrats in Congress have come to their senses and are now willing to fund our great military, border patrol, first responders, and insurance for vulnerable children. As I have always said, once the Government is funded, my Administration will work toward solving the problem of very unfair illegal immigration. We will make a long-term deal on immigration if, and only if, it is good for our country."[75]

On January 16, 2018, GOP leaders introduced a CR that proposed funding the government through February 16, 2018. It included a six-year extension of funding for CHIP. It also proposed delaying the Affordable Care Act’s (ACA) “medical device and Cadillac taxes for two years, and the health insurance tax for one year starting in 2019,” according to The Hill. It did not include a legislative solution for the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program, something Democrats wanted. The proposal passed the House on January 18, 2018, by a vote of 230-197, mostly along party lines. On January 19, 2018, the Senate rejected a motion to end debate on the House-passed short-term spending bill, which led to a government shutdown.[76]

On January 22, 2018, the Senate voted 81-18 in favor of a modified CR to fund the government through February 8, 2018. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) and Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) reached an agreement to reopen the government in order to continue negotiations on immigration and federal spending.[77][78][79]

On the same day, the House passed the CR by a vote of 266-150. Trump signed the CR on the same day, ending the government shutdown.[80][81]

January 18, 2018: House passes continuing resolution to fund the government

On January 18, 2018, the House passed a continuing resolution (CR) to fund the government through February 16, 2018. The legislation passed by a vote of 230-197, mostly along party lines. Two hundred and twenty-four Republicans voted with six Democrats in favor of the measure. One hundred and eighty-six Democrats voted with eleven Republicans against it.[82][83]

January 19, 2018: Mulvaney discusses possible shutdown plan

According to The Hill, “Each federal agency has a shutdown plan, written in consultation with the White House’s Office of Management and Budget (OMB), and the administration would have some wiggle room in what it does.” White House Budget Director Mick Mulvaney said that the shutdown would look different from the 2013 shutdown. He said, "From an OMB perspective because we are involved in managing a lapse or a shutdown, we want to make folks understand that it will look very different than it did under the previous administration. One of the things I've learned since I've been in this office is, there is no other way to describe it, but the Obama administration weaponized the shutdown of 2013. What they did not tell you is they did not encourage agencies to use carry-forward funds, funds that they were sitting on. Nor did they encourage agencies to use transfer authority. They could have made a shutdown in 2013 much less impactful, but they chose to make it worse. The only conclusion I can draw is they did it for political purposes. So it will look different this time around."[84][85]

January 19, 2018: Senate rejects procedural vote on continuing resolution to fund the government

On January 19, 2018, the Senate rejected a motion to end debate on the House-passed short-term spending bill. Sixty votes were needed for passage of the procedural measure. Forty-five Republicans and five Democrats—Sens. Joe Manchin (W.Va.), Joe Donnelly (Ind.), Heidi Heitkamp (N.D.), Claire McCaskill (Mo.), and Doug Jones (Ala.)—voted to proceed to a vote on the continuing resolution. Forty-two Democrats voted with five Republicans—Sens. Rand Paul (Ky.), Lindsey Graham (S.C.), Mike Lee (Utah), Jeff Flake (Ariz.), and Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.)—and Independent Sens. Bernie Sanders (Vt.) and Angus King (Maine) against the motion. Although McConnell supported passage of the continuing resolution, he voted against the motion to end debate for procedural reasons. McConnell had to be on the prevailing side of the vote to be able to call for a revote. Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.), who was undergoing treatment for brain cancer, was not present for the vote.[86]

The continuing resolution (CR) proposed funding the government through February 16, 2018, and included a six-year extension of funding for CHIP. It also proposed delaying some healthcare taxes. It did not include a legislative solution for the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program.

Before the January 20, 2018, shutdown, October 1, 2013, was the last time the federal government shut down. Since the congressional budgeting process took effect in 1976, there have been a total of nineteen separate government shutdowns, including the January 20 shutdown, according to The Washington Post.[87][88]

January 22, 2018: Senate passes continuing resolution to fund the government

On January 22, 2018, the Senate approved a continuing resolution (CR) to fund the government through Feb 8, 2018, by a vote of 81-18. The vote came after Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) said that he would allow for a vote in February on an immigration bill that included a legislative solution for the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program, a demand made by Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.).[77][89]

The CR proposed funding the government through February 8, 2018. It also included a six-year funding extension for the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP) and proposed delaying some healthcare taxes. It did not include a legislative solution for the DACA program.[77]

According to Politico, Senate leaders reached a compromise to reopen the government in order to take up legislation to address the DACA program. McConnell committed to bringing DACA legislation to the floor for consideration, but only if the government reopened since immigration legislation could not advance during a government shutdown.[78]

Before voting on the CR, the Senate voted 81-18 in favor of a motion to proceed to the CR. Forty-eight Republicans, thirty-two Democrats, and Sen. Angus King (I-Maine) voted to proceed to a vote on the CR to fund the government. Fifteen Democrats voted with two Republicans—Sens. Rand Paul (Ky.) and Mike Lee (Utah)—and Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) against the motion. Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.), who was undergoing treatment for brain cancer, was not present for the vote. Sixty votes were required in order to pass the resolution.[90]

January 22, 2018: House passes continuing resolution to fund the government

By a vote of 266-150, the House passed a continuing resolution to fund the government through February 8, 2018. It also included a six-year funding extension for the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP) and proposed delaying some healthcare taxes. It did not include a legislative solution for the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program.[80]

December 21, 2017: Congress sends four-week stopgap spending bill to Trump to avoid government shutdown

December 7, 2017: Congress sends two-week stopgap spending bill to Trump to avoid government shutdown

On December 7, 2017, the House passed a two-week stopgap spending bill to keep the government open until December 22, 2017, by a vote of 235-193. Fourteen Democrats voted for the measure, and 18 Republicans voted against it. Shortly after, the Senate passed the bill by a vote of 81-14. Six Republicans, seven Democrats, and Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) voted against the legislation. President Donald Trump signed the bill on December 8, 2017. The government would have run out of funding at 12:01 a.m. on December 9, 2017, without the stopgap spending bill. Lawmakers used the extended deadline to negotiate a final budget deal.[91][92]

October 26, 2017: House adopts Senate’s budget resolution, paving the way for the GOP’s tax reform plan

See also: Federal policy on taxes, 2017-2018

A concurrent resolution establishing the congressional budget for the United States Government for fiscal year 2018 and setting forth the appropriate budgetary levels for fiscal years 2019 through 2027. (H Con Res 71)

Yes check.svg Concurrent Resolution Agreed to (51-49) on October 19, 2017
Proposed establishing the congressional budget for the United States Government for fiscal year 2018 and setting forth the appropriate budgetary levels for fiscal years 2019 through 2027.[93]

On October 26, 2017, by a vote of 216-212, the House passed the Senate’s version of the budget, which was the first step towards tax reform. Two hundred and sixteen Republicans and no Democrats voted for the resolution. One hundred and ninety-two Democrats and 20 Republicans voted against the resolution. The House voted to pass the Senate's version of the budget instead of going to conference to reconcile differences between the House and Senate resolutions. Passing the budget resolution was the first step for Republicans to initiate the reconciliation process, which was what they proposed using to pass their tax reform package. Reconciliation would prevent Democrats from filibustering the tax proposal and would allow Republicans to pass it with a simple majority of 51 votes in the Senate, instead of the usual 60-vote requirement.

The budget resolution proposed maintaining spending at 2017 levels for the year. It proposed cutting nondefense spending in subsequent years, with a $106 billion cut in 2027. It proposed allowing defense spending levels to continue rising at their current rates, reaching $684 billion in 2027. It also proposed cutting $473 billion from Medicare’s baseline spending and about $1 trillion from Medicaid over 10 years. It also allowed for tax cuts that reduce revenues and increase deficits by $1.5 trillion over a decade.

Budget resolutions are nonbinding, and they do not require the president’s signature.

The following Republicans voted against the resolution: Reps. Justin Amash (Mich.), Ken Buck (Colo.), Dan Donovan (N.Y.), John Duncan (Tenn.), John Faso (N.Y.), Brian Fitzpatrick (Pa.), Matt Gaetz (Fla.), Lynn Jenkins (Kan.), Walter Jones (N.C.), John Katko (N.Y.), Pete King (N.Y.), Leonard Lance (N.J.), Frank LoBiondo (N.J.), Tom MacArthur (N.J.), Thomas Massie (Ky.), Mark Sanford (S.C.), Chris Smith (N.J.), Elise Stefanik (N.Y.), Claudia Tenney (N.Y.), and Lee Zeldin (N.Y.).

The House Liberty Caucus opposed the budget resolution, saying in a statement, “Passing a budget that doesn’t address out-of-control spending and adds trillions of dollars to the national debt just to achieve some policy goal — which also could be accomplished with a responsible budget — is an endorsement of a warped worldview where the end justifies the means.”[94]

Some Republicans from states that could be hurt by a proposal in the GOP’s tax plan to eliminate the state and local tax deduction opposed the resolution. Rep. John Faso (R-N.Y.) said, "We must provide middle-class tax relief and lower the burdens on job-creating small businesses. I could not, however, vote in support of a budget resolution that singled out for elimination the ability of New York families to deduct state and local taxes.”[94]

Democrats voted against the resolution because, among other things, it proposed making cuts to Medicare and Medicaid. House Budget Committee ranking member John Yarmuth (D-Ky.) said, “There’s a lot of unjustifiable provisions in this budget. On top of massive tax cuts for the rich, it cuts vital national investments, threatening our economic progress and our national security. The enormity of these cuts and the severity of the consequences for American families cannot be overstated.”[94]

House Ways and Means Committee Chairman Kevin Brady (R-Texas) praised the passage of the resolution, saying, “Today is a historic day — and we are ready to deliver tax relief that improves the lives of middle-income Americans and struggling families who have been left behind in our slow-growing economy. By passing this budget today, we can send a clear message to the American people: real tax reform is on the way."[95]

October 19, 2017: Senate passes budget resolution

A concurrent resolution establishing the congressional budget for the United States Government for fiscal year 2018 and setting forth the appropriate budgetary levels for fiscal years 2019 through 2027. (H Con Res 71)

Yes check.svg Concurrent Resolution Agreed to (51-49) on October 19, 2017
Proposed establishing the congressional budget for the United States Government for fiscal year 2018 and setting forth the appropriate budgetary levels for fiscal years 2019 through 2027.[96]

On October 18, 2017, by a vote of 51-49, the Senate passed a budget resolution. Fifty-one Republicans and no Democrats voted for the resolution. Forty-six Democrats, two Independents, and Republican Sen. Rand Paul (Ky.) voted against the resolution.

The budget resolution proposed maintaining spending at 2017 levels for the year. It proposed cutting nondefense spending in subsequent years, with a $106 billion cut in 2027. It proposed allowing defense spending levels to continue rising at their current rates, reaching $684 billion in 2027. It also proposed cutting $473 billion from Medicare’s baseline spending and about $1 trillion from Medicaid over 10 years. One major difference between the House and Senate budget resolutions was that the Senate version allowed for tax cuts that reduced revenues and increased deficits by $1.5 trillion over a decade, while the House version called for revenue-neutral tax legislation that would not increase deficits.[97]

Budget resolutions are nonbinding, and they do not require the president’s signature.

October 5, 2017: House passes budget resolution

Establishing the congressional budget for the United States Government for fiscal year 2018 and setting forth the appropriate budgetary levels for fiscal years 2019 through 2027. (H Con Res 71)

Yes check.svg Bill Passed (219-206) on October 5, 2017
Proposed establishing the congressional budget for the federal government for FY2018 and setting forth budgetary levels for FY2019-FY2027.[98]

On October 5, 2017, by a vote of 219-206, the House passed a budget resolution. Two hundred and nineteen Republicans and no Democrats voted for the resolution. One hundred and eighty-eight Democrats and 18 Republicans voted against the resolution. Six Democrats and three Republicans did not vote.

The resolution proposed $6.5 trillion in deficit reduction over 10 years. It proposed setting overall discretionary spending for fiscal year 2018 at $1.132 trillion. It proposed tax reform and increased defense and national security spending. It assumed that the American Health Care Act of 2017 would pass. It also proposed cuts to Medicare and nondefense programs. The Senate approved its budget resolution on October 19, 2017. The House then voted to adopt the Senate's budget resolution on October 26, 2017.[99]

Budget resolutions are nonbinding, and they do not require the president’s signature.

September 14, 2017: House passes all appropriations bills

On September 14, 2017, by a vote of 211-198, the House passed a $1.2 trillion government funding package that included all 12 appropriations bills. The bill proposed providing $621.5 billion for defense spending, $511 billion for nondefense spending, and an additional $87 billion in Overseas Contingency Operation (OCO) funding.

After passing the bill, Speaker of the House Paul Ryan (R-Wis.) said, “This is a big day. This is a big day in the House of Representatives. Today, the people’s House passed all 12 funding bills on time. Let me just say that again. The reason you see these men and women up here is we passed all 12 of our appropriations bills on time. This is the first time the House has done that since 2009.”[100]

Appropriations bills set spending limits for government agencies and programs but do not direct how federal funds are allowed to be used. In the normal budget process, the 12 appropriations bills are passed separately, not as a whole.

Two hundred and ten Republicans and one Democrat—Rep. Collin Peterson (D-Minn.)—voted for the bill. One hundred and eighty-four Democrats and 14 Republicans voted against the bill. Sixteen Republicans and nine Democrats did not vote.

The Senate was not expected to consider the appropriations proposal. The upper chamber had not passed any of the 12 appropriations bills at the time of the House vote.


Make America Secure and Prosperous Appropriations Act, 2018 (HR 3354)

Yes check.svg Bill Passed (211-198) on September 14, 2017
Proposed providing FY2018 appropriations for the federal government. It combined 12 appropriations bills.[101]

September 8, 2017: Trump signs bill to suspend the debt ceiling and fund the government until December 8, 2017

In August 2017, Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin said that U.S. would reach its limit of authorized borrowing and would be unable to pay its bills by September 29, 2017. He called for a clean debt ceiling increase. On September 8, 2017, President Donald Trump signed a bill to suspend the debt ceiling and fund the government until December 8, 2017. The bill also included more than $15 billion for Hurricanes Harvey and Irma relief efforts. The bill was the result of a deal struck by Trump and Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) and House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.).[102]

On September 6, 2017, by a vote of 419-3, the House passed a $7.85 billion Hurricane Harvey relief bill. After congressional leaders met with Trump, amendments were added to the bill to raise the debt ceiling and fund the government until December 8, 2017, proposals backed by Schumer and Pelosi. House Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) and Speaker of the House Paul Ryan (R-Wis.) wanted a longer term for the debt limit increase and wanted to work on funding the government in a separate bill. According to Politico, Trump struck the deal with Democrats because he “wanted to clear the legislative decks to ensure tax reform remains the policy focus this fall.”[103]

On September 7, 2017, by a vote of 80-17, the Senate passed the amended bill. All 17 votes against the bill were cast by Republicans. The following day, by a vote of 316-90, the House passed the amended bill. All 90 votes against the bill were cast by Republicans. Most Republicans who opposed the bill wanted to debate spending cuts along with raising the debt limit.[103]

Congress initially faced deadlines of September 29 and September 30 to raise the debt limit and pass a funding bill to avoid a partial government shutdown. The bill proposed extending the deadline until December 8, 2017, to address these two issues.

What is the federal debt limit? According to the Department of the Treasury, "The debt limit is the total amount of money that the United States government is authorized to borrow to meet its existing legal obligations, including Social Security and Medicare benefits, military salaries, interest on the national debt, tax refunds, and other payments. The debt limit does not authorize new spending commitments. It simply allows the government to finance existing legal obligations that Congresses and presidents of both parties have made in the past."[104]

Key votes on the federal debt limit

Disaster Relief Appropriations Act, 2017 (Included amendments to suspend the debt ceiling and fund the government) (HR 601)

Yes check.svg Motion Agreed to (80-17) on September 7, 2017 Signed by President
Proposed suspending the debt ceiling and funding the government until December 8, 2017, and providing funding for Hurricanes Harvey and Irma relief efforts.[105]
  • The details: Forty-five Democrats, 32 Republicans, and two independents voted for the bill. Seventeen Republicans and no Democrats voted against the bill. Two Republicans and one Democrat did not vote. The bill proposed raising the debt ceiling and funding the government until December 8, 2017. The bill also included more than $15 billion for Hurricane Harvey relief efforts. The bill was the result of a deal struck by President Donald Trump (R) and Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) and House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.). The House passed the bill on September 8, 2017.[106]

Disaster Relief Appropriations Act, 2017 (Included amendments to suspend the debt ceiling and fund the government) (HR 601)

Yes check.svg Bill Passed (316-90) on September 8, 2017 Signed by President
Proposed suspending the debt ceiling and funding the government until December 8, 2017, and providing funding for Hurricanes Harvey and Irma relief efforts.[107]
  • The details: One hundred and eighty-three Democrats and 133 Republicans voted for the bill. Ninety Republicans and no Democrats voted against the bill. Sixteen Republicans and 11 Democrats did not vote. The bill proposed raising the debt ceiling and funding the government until December 8, 2017. The bill also included more than $15 billion for Hurricane Harvey relief efforts. The bill was the result of a deal struck by President Donald Trump (R) and Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) and House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.). Trump signed it into law on September 8, 2017

May 5, 2017: Trump signs bill to keep the government funded through the end of the fiscal year

See also: Federal policy on the budget, 2017-2020

On May 5, 2017, President Donald Trump signed HR 244—the Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2017—into law to keep the government funded through the end of the fiscal year on September 30, 2017. On May 3, 2017, the House passed the bill by a vote of 309-118, and the following day the Senate passed the bill by a vote of 79-18. It was the first major legislation of 2017 to pass the House and Senate with bipartisan support. The initial deadline for funding the government was April 28, 2017, but Congress passed a stopgap bill to keep the government funded for one week while lawmakers negotiated a larger spending bill.[91][6][108]

May 3, 2017: Congress passes funding bill

On May 3, 2017, the House passed the Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2017, by a vote of 309-118. The $1.2 trillion budget bill funded the government through the end of the fiscal year on September 30, 2017. It was the first major legislation of 2017 to pass Congress with bipartisan support. One hundred and seventy-eight Democrats voted with 131 Republicans in favor of the bill. Fifteen Democrats and 103 Republicans voted against the bill. On May 4, 2017, the Senate passed the bill by a vote of 79-18. Forty-five Democrats voted with 32 Republicans and two Independents in favor of the bill. Eighteen Republicans voted against the bill. No Democrats voted against the bill.[109][110][111]

April 30, 2017: Budget deal reached

On April 30, 2017, lawmakers reached an agreement on a $1.2 trillion bill to fund the government through the remainder of the fiscal year on September 30, 2017. The bill included, but was not limited, to the following:[112][113][114][115]

  • a $12.5 billion increase in defense spending;
  • an additional $2.5 billion in defense spending if the Trump administration provides a plan to fight the Islamic State (ISIS/ ISIL);
  • a $2 billion increase in funding for the National Institutes of Health;
  • $1.5 billion for border security—the money cannot be used for Trump's border wall;
  • $407 million in wildfire relief for western states;
  • $295 million for Puerto Rico's Medicaid program;
  • $150 million for the National Endowment for the Arts;
  • $150 million for the National Endowment for the Humanities;
  • $100 million to combat opioid addiction;
  • $61 million to reimburse local law enforcement agencies that provide protection for Trump when he travels to his residences in Florida and New York;
  • Funding for the Environmental Protection Agency;
  • Funding for Planned Parenthood Federation of America Inc.;
  • Permanent fix to fund coal miners' healthcare;
  • No increase in funding for the Internal Revenue Service.

Vice President Mike Pence and Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) both said that they were happy with the deal.

On May 1, 2017, CBS News’ Norah O’Donnell asked Pence if the administration was disappointed that the funding bill included money for Planned Parenthood but none for the construction of the border wall. Pence said, “We couldn't be more pleased that thanks to President Trump's leadership and direct engagement, last night at the White House and leaders in the House and Senate in both parties signed off on a budget deal. It'll avert a government shutdown but more important than that there's going to be a significant increase in military spending. Our armed forces have been hollowed out in recent years by budget cuts. 21 billion dollars in defense spending in this bill. There's also a down payment on border security. I think the American people are encouraged to hear that since our inauguration, illegal border crossings are down 60 plus percent in this country. And in this bill there's a down payment on additional border security. I'm also pleased to see as the President was insistent on that we're providing support for health benefits for coal miners and here in the District of Columbia we're continuing an educational choice program for disadvantaged children that began back in the days when I was in the Congress. So this is a budget deal that's a bipartisan win for the American people and the President signed off on the parameters early yesterday.”[116]

Schumer said, "The bill ensures taxpayer dollars aren't used to fund an ineffective border wall, excludes poison pill riders and increases investments in programs that the middle-class relies on, like medical research, education and infrastructure. Early on in this debate, Democrats clearly laid out our principles. At the end of the day, this is an agreement that reflects those principles."[114]

However, not all lawmakers were satisfied by the budget deal. Chairman of the House Freedom Caucus Jim Jordan (R-Ohio), said he and other members of the Freedom Caucus would vote against the bill unless changes were made. He said, "I'm disappointed. We'll see how it plays out this week but I think you're going to see conservatives have some real concerns with this legislation."[115]

Negotiations

Initially, President Donald Trump wanted funding for the border wall in exchange for agreeing to continue making payments to health insurers to prevent Affordable Care Act (ACA) insurance markets from failing. After Democrats said that they would vote against a bill that included border wall funding, Trump backed off of the request, which eased negotiations. The Trump administration also said that it would continue to fund cost-sharing payments, a major priority for Democrats. The main priority for most Republicans was to secure funding for defense, while Democrats wanted to secure Medicaid funding for Puerto Rico.[117]

What did the Trump administration want included in the funding bill? What did Republicans want included in the funding bill?*** What did Democrats want included in the funding bill?
Funding for defense Funding for defense Funding for Affordable Care Act insurance plans/
cost-sharing payments**
Funding for border security and the border wall* Funding for healthcare and pensions for miners Funding for healthcare and pensions for miners
Funding for immigration enforcement,
including a provision to restrict grant money for sanctuary jurisdictions 		Medicaid funding for Puerto Rico
Funding for law enforcement

*The Trump administration initially said that it wanted funding for the border wall included in the spending bill but later said that the funding could be included in the federal budget in September.

**The Trump administration said that it would continue to fund cost-sharing payments.[118]

***Members of the House Freedom Caucus often vote against spending bills and often disagree with the spending priorities of Republican leadeship.[119]

April 28, 2017: Congress passes one-week continuing resolution

On April 27, 2017, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) said that the Senate would vote on a short-term funding to keep the government open through May 5, 2017, while members of Congress debated the final bill. He said, "The House has introduced a short-term funding bill that we expect to pass before Friday night's deadline so that a final agreement can be drafted and shared with members for their review prior to its consideration next week."[120]

On April 28, 2017, Congress passed a stopgap bill to keep the government funded for one week while lawmakers negotiate a larger spending bill.[91][6]

Democrats threatened to oppose one-week extension

On April 27, 2017, Rep. Steny Hoyer (D-Md.) said that he and other Democrats would oppose the one-week continuing resolution if Republicans attempted to hold a vote on the revised version of the American Health Care Act (AHCA) on Friday or Saturday. Hoyer said in an email, "If Republicans announce their intention to bring their harmful TrumpCare bill to the House Floor tomorrow or Saturday, I will oppose a one-week Continuing Resolution and will advise House Democrats to oppose it as well. Republicans continue to struggle to find the votes to pass a bill that will kick 24 million Americans off their health coverage, allow discrimination against those with pre-existing conditions, and impose an age tax on older Americans. That's why they are trying to jam it through the House before their Members can hear from the American people this weekend about their opposition to this horrible legislation.”[121]

No vote on AHCA

On April 27, 2017, House Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) said that the House would not vote on the revised version of the AHCA. McCarthy told reporters, "We are not voting on healthcare tomorrow or Saturday."[122]

March 16, 2017: Trump submits budget proposal

On March 16, 2017, Trump submitted his $1.1 trillion “America First” fiscal year 2018 budget proposal to Congress. It proposed increasing defense spending by $54 billion and cutting funding to 12 of the 15 executive departments to offset the increase. The Environmental Protection Agency—a Cabinet-level agency—the U.S. Department of State, and the U.S. Department of Labor would see the largest cuts. Along with the U.S. Department of Defense, the Departments of Homeland Security and Veterans Affairs would see increases in funding, which was aligned with Trump’s campaign promise to focus on law and order.[123]

U.S. Office of Management and Budget Director Mick Mulvaney commented on the proposal, saying, “[We] wrote it using the President’s own words. We went through his speeches, we went through articles that have been written about his policies, we talked to him, and we wanted to know what his policies were, and we turned those policies into numbers. So you have an ‘America First’ candidate, you have an ‘America First’ budget.”[124]

Members of the 115th Congress on the budget

Democratic Party Democrats

  • August 23, 2017: House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) said Democrats would oppose funding Trump's border wall and threatened a government shutdown if Trump insisted on making it part of a budget package. She said, “President Trump’s multi-billion dollar border wall boondoggle is strongly opposed by Democrats and many Republicans. Democrats will stand fast against the immoral, ineffective border wall and the rest of Republicans’ unacceptable poison pill riders."[125]
  • August 23, 2017: Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) said including funding for the border wall in a government funding bill would lead to a shutdown. He said, “If the President pursues this path, against the wishes of both Republicans and Democrats, as well as the majority of the American people, he will be heading towards a government shutdown which nobody will like and which won’t accomplish anything."[125]
  • March 16, 2017: House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) said in a statement, “President Trump is not making anyone more secure with a budget that hollows out our economy and endangers working families. Throwing billions at defense while ransacking America’s investments in jobs, education, clean energy and lifesaving medical research will leave our nation weakened. The President’s budget blueprint fails to recognize America’s strength depends on more than military spending; it depends on the power of our diplomacy, the health of our economy and the vitality of our communities. This budget would devastate the innovation that drives our economy, the research that cures our diseases, the education that empowers our children, and the skills training programs that enable our workers to win the good-paying jobs of the modern economy. It is also a plan to endanger the food we eat, the water we drink, and the air we breathe. The budget is a statement of values, and President Trump has shown he does not value the future of children and working families."[126]
  • March 16, 2017: Rep. Nita Lowey (D-N.Y.), the ranking Democrat on the House Committee on Appropriations, said in a statement, “If enacted into law, these cuts would have a disastrous impact on job security; health; safe, clean, and secure communities; and American leadership around the world. I will closely examine the President’s request for supplemental appropriations for defense to determine whether the request would legitimately improve readiness and address areas of need.”[127]
  • February 27, 2017: Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) criticized the budget in a statement, saying, “It is clear from this budget blueprint that President Trump fully intends to break his promises to working families by taking a meat ax to programs that benefit the middle-class. A cut this steep almost certainly means cuts to agencies that protect consumers from Wall Street excess and protect clean air and water. Most Americans didn’t vote to ease up on polluters, or to give Wall Street the green light to rip them off. They certainly didn’t vote to make all these cuts so that President Trump can hand out a tax break to the wealthiest Americans. This budget proposal is a reflection of exactly who this President is and what today’s Republican Party believes in: helping the wealthy and special interests while putting further burdens on the middle class and those struggling to get there.”[128]

Republican Party Republicans

  • March 17, 2017: During an interview on Fox Business Network, Rep. Kevin Brady (R-Texas), the chair of the Committee on Ways and Means, said of the budget, “This is a skinny budget, but look at the approach it’s taking. It is like any business in America, which is if you’re digging your way out of a hole, first you have to limit your costs, as much as you can. You got to grow your revenue. So, I think these spending cuts get us halfway back to a balanced budget or more.”[129]
  • March 16, 2017: House Speaker Paul Ryan (R-Wis.) released the following statement about Trump's budget: "I welcome the president’s blueprint for next year’s budget, which turns the page from the last eight years. We are determined to work with the administration to shrink the size of government, grow our economy, secure our borders, and ensure our troops have the tools necessary to complete their missions. I look forward to reviewing this with the Appropriations Committee and our entire conference."[130]
  • March 16, 2017: Rep. Hal Rogers (R-Ky.), the former chair of the House Committee on Appropriations, was critical of the budget and its potential impact on rural communities. “While we have a responsibility to reduce our federal deficit, I am disappointed that many of the reductions and eliminations proposed in the president’s skinny budget are draconian, careless and counterproductive. … We will certainly review this budget proposal, but Congress ultimately has the power of the purse,” he said in a statement.[131]

The 2016 Republican Party Platform on the budget

See also

External links

Footnotes

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 The Wall Street Journal, "Senate Passes Broad Spending Bill," September 18, 2018
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 The Hill, "Senate approves $854B spending bill," September 18, 2018
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 Congress.gov, "H.J.Res.143 - Making further continuing appropriations for fiscal year 2019, and for other purposes." accessed December 6, 2018
  4. ↑ The Hill, "Senate sends two-week funding measure to Trump," December 6, 2018
  5. ↑ Clerk.House.gov, "Final Vote Results For Roll Call 405," September 26, 2018
  6. ↑ 6.0 6.1 6.2 6.3 6.4 6.5 The Hill, "House passes $854B spending bill to avert shutdown," September 26, 2018 Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; name "avert" defined multiple times with different content Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; name "avert" defined multiple times with different content
  7. ↑ WhiteHouse.gov, "Signing Statement from President Donald J. Trump on H.R. 6157," September 28, 2018
  8. ↑ Congress.gov, "H.R.6157 - Department of Defense and Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education Appropriations Act, 2019 and Continuing Appropriations Act, 2019," September 18, 2018
  9. ↑ Twitter, "Donald J. Trump," September 20, 2018
  10. ↑ Senate.gov, "On Passage of the Bill (H. R. 6157 As Amended)," August 23, 2018
  11. ↑ Senate.gov, "On the Conference Report (Conference Report to Accompany H.R. 6157)," September 18, 2018
  12. ↑ Clerk.House.gov, "Final Vote Results For Roll Call 313," June 28, 2018
  13. ↑ WhiteHouse.gov, "Remarks by President Trump at the Signing of H.R. 5895," September 21, 2018
  14. ↑ Congress.gov, "H.R.5895 - Energy and Water, Legislative Branch, and Military Construction and Veterans Affairs Appropriations Act, 2019," accessed September 14, 2018
  15. ↑ Senate.gov, "On the Conference Report (Conference Report to Accompany H.R. 58950)," September 12, 2018
  16. ↑ Clerk.House.gov, "Final Vote Results For Roll Call 399," September 13, 2018
  17. ↑ 17.0 17.1 The Hill, "Congress sends first spending package to Trump in push to avert shutdown," September 13, 2018
  18. ↑ The Hill, "Senate approves first 2019 spending package," September 12, 2018
  19. ↑ 19.0 19.1 The Hill, "Senate passes first 2019 funding bill," June 25, 2018
  20. ↑ Washington Examiner, "Senate breaks spending logjam passing first 'minibus' bill," June 25, 2018
  21. ↑ Congress.gov, "H.R.5895 - Energy and Water Development and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 2019," accessed June 8, 2018
  22. ↑ Clerk.House.gov, "Final Vote Results for Roll Call 257," June 8, 2018
  23. ↑ 23.0 23.1 The Hill, "House approves first 2019 spending bills," June 8, 2018
  24. ↑ Politico, House passes funding for energy, VA, military projects, June 8, 2018
  25. ↑ Congress.gov, "H.R.3 - Spending Cuts to Expired and Unnecessary Programs Act," accessed June 8, 2018
  26. ↑ Clerk.House.gov, "Final Vote Results for Roll Call 243," June 7, 2018
  27. ↑ WhiteHouse.gov, "President Donald J. Trump is Protecting American Taxpayer Dollars," May 8, 2018
  28. ↑ WhiteHouse.gov, "The White House Announces Its Rescission Package," May 8, 2018
  29. ↑ WhiteHouse.gov, "Budget Rescissions and Deferrals," May 8, 2018
  30. ↑ 30.0 30.1 30.2 30.3 30.4 The Hill, "House passes Trump's plan to claw back $15 billion in spending," June 7, 2018
  31. ↑ Clerk.House.gov, "Final Vote Results for Roll Call 138," April 12, 2018
  32. ↑ Congress.gov, "H.J.Res.2 - Proposing a balanced budget amendment to the Constitution of the United States." accessed April 13, 2018
  33. ↑ 33.0 33.1 The Hill, "Proposal to amend the Constitution falls short in House," April 12, 2018
  34. ↑ 34.0 34.1 34.2 USA Today, "House fails to advance a balanced budget amendment to counter high spending levels," April 12, 2018
  35. ↑ Clerk.House.gov, "Final Vote Results For Roll Call 127," March 22, 2018
  36. ↑ Congress.gov, "H.R.1625 - TARGET Act," accessed March 22, 2018
  37. ↑ 37.0 37.1 37.2 37.3 37.4 37.5 37.6 The Hill, "House easily passes $1.3 trillion spending bill," March 22, 2018
  38. ↑ Senate.gov, "On the Motion (Motion to Concur in the House Amendment to the Senate Amendment to H.R. 1625 )," March 23, 2018
  39. ↑ WhiteHouse.gov, "Remarks by President Trump at Signing of H.R. 1625," March 23, 2018
  40. ↑ 40.0 40.1 Note: This text is quoted verbatim from the original source. Any inconsistencies are attributable to the original source.
  41. ↑ Twitter, "Donald J. Trump," March 23, 2018
  42. ↑ 42.0 42.1 42.2 42.3 Politico, "Massive spending deal clinched despite Trump’s misgivings," March 21, 2018
  43. ↑ 43.0 43.1 43.2 43.3 The Hill, "Senate approves $1.3 trillion spending bill, sending to Trump," March 23, 2018
  44. ↑ Twitter, "Senator Rand Paul," March 22, 2018
  45. ↑ 45.0 45.1 45.2 45.3 45.4 45.5 The Wall Street Journal, "Congressional Leaders Say They Agree on Budget Deal," February 7, 2018
  46. ↑ The Hill, "Trump signs budget deal ending shutdown," February 9, 2018
  47. ↑ Senate.gov, "On the Motion (Motion to Concur in the House Amendment to the Senate Amendment to H.R. 1892 with an Amendment (SA 1930))," February 9, 2018
  48. ↑ Clerk.House.gov, "Final Vote Results for Roll Call 69," February 9, 2018
  49. ↑ 49.0 49.1 49.2 Politico, "Shutdown ends after Trump signs budget deal," February 8, 2018
  50. ↑ Twitter, "Donald J. Trump," February 9, 2018
  51. ↑ Twitter, "Senator Rand Paul," February 8, 2018
  52. ↑ 52.0 52.1 USA Today, "How one GOP senator – Rand Paul – could trigger a government shutdown," February 8, 2018
  53. ↑ The Hill, "Shutdown set to begin after Paul delays budget vote," February 8, 2018
  54. ↑ Senate.gov, "On the Cloture Motion (Motion to Invoke Cloture on the Motion to Concur in the House Amendment to the Senate Amendment to H.R. 695)," February 8, 2018
  55. ↑ The Hill, "Senate rejects House funding plan," February 8, 2018
  56. ↑ The Wall Street Journal, "What’s in the Bipartisan Spending Deal," February 8, 2018
  57. ↑ Twitter, "Donald J. Trump," February 7, 2018
  58. ↑ 58.0 58.1 The Hill, "House passes stopgap spending measure with defense money," February 6, 2018
  59. ↑ Senate.gov, "On the Cloture Motion (Motion to Invoke Cloture on the Motion to Concur in the House Amendment to the Senate Amendment to H.R. 695)," February 8, 2018
  60. ↑ Politico, "Poll: More voters blamed Trump and GOP for shutdown than Democrats," January 22, 2018
  61. ↑ NBC News, "Poll: Democrats, Trump to blame for government shutdown," January 23, 2018
  62. ↑ 62.0 62.1 The Washington Post, "House Republicans are unusually united that the shutdown is Democrats’ fault," January 20, 2018
  63. ↑ CNN, "Schumer tweaks Trump ego in shutdown blame game," January 21, 2018
  64. ↑ 64.0 64.1 The New York Times, "Government Shutdown Begins as Budget Talks Falter in Senate," January 19, 2018
  65. ↑ NBC News, "Meet the Press, January 21, 2018," January 21, 2018
  66. ↑ The Hill, "Nerves fray as shutdown talks at impasse," January 20, 2018
  67. ↑ CBS News, "Transcript: House Speaker Paul Ryan on "Face the Nation," Jan. 21, 2018," January 21, 2018
  68. ↑ Twitter, "Donald J. Trump," January 20, 2018
  69. ↑ Twitter, "Donald J. Trump," January 21, 2018
  70. ↑ Fox News, "Mick Mulvaney on impact of the shutdown, efforts to reopen," January 21, 2018
  71. ↑ Twitter, "Donald J. Trump," January 22, 2018
  72. ↑ The Hill, "McConnell to bring up bill on immigration, border security next month," January 21, 2018
  73. ↑ 73.0 73.1 The Hill, "This week: Clock ticks toward shutdown deadline," January 8, 2018
  74. ↑ The Wall Street Journal, "Trump Administration Seeks $18 Billion Over Decade to Expand Border Wall," January 5, 2018
  75. ↑ WhiteHouse.gov, "Statement from President Donald J. Trump," January 22, 2018
  76. ↑ The Hill, "GOP leaders pitch children's health funding in plan to avert shutdown," January 16, 2018
  77. ↑ 77.0 77.1 77.2 Senate.gov, "On the Motion (Motion to Concur in the House Amendment to the Senate Amendment with Further Amendment)," January 22, 2018
  78. ↑ 78.0 78.1 Politico, "Senate votes to end shutdown," January 22, 2018
  79. ↑ Time, "The Government Shutdown Is Almost Over After a Key Vote in the Senate," January 22, 2018
  80. ↑ 80.0 80.1 Clerk.House.gov, "Final Vote Results For Roll Call 44," January 22, 2018
  81. ↑ The Hill, "Congress clears bill to end government shutdown," January 22, 2018
  82. ↑ Clerk.House.gov, "Final Vote Results for Roll Call 33," January 18, 2018
  83. ↑ The Hill, "House approves spending bill, shifting shutdown drama to Senate," January 18, 2018
  84. ↑ The Hill, "What happens if the government shuts down," January 19, 2018
  85. ↑ Real Clear Politics, "OMB Director Mick Mulvaney: Obama 'Weaponized' Government Shutdown In 2013, 'Will Look Very Different' This Time," January 19, 2018
  86. ↑ The Hill, "Senate rejects funding bill, just before shutdown deadline," January 19, 2018
  87. ↑ CNN, "U.S. government shuts down as Congress can't agree on spending bill," October 1, 2013
  88. ↑ The Washington Post, "Here is every previous government shutdown, why they happened and how they ended," September 25, 2013
  89. ↑ The Hill, "Senate approves funding measure to end shutdown," January 22, 2018
  90. ↑ Senate.gov, "On the Cloture Motion (Motion to Invoke Cloture: Motion to Concur in the House Amendment to the Senate Amendment to H.R. 195)," January 22, 2018
  91. ↑ 91.0 91.1 91.2 The Hill, "House passes bill to avoid shutdown," December 7, 2017 Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; name "avoid" defined multiple times with different content Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; name "avoid" defined multiple times with different content
  92. ↑ PBS.org, "Trump signs 2-week spending bill to avoid government shutdown," December 8, 2017
  93. ↑ Senate.gov, "On the Concurrent Resolution (H. Con. Res. 71 As Amended)," October 19, 2017
  94. ↑ 94.0 94.1 94.2 The Hill, "House adopts Senate budget, takes step toward tax reform," October 26, 2017
  95. ↑ The Hill, "Brady announces tax bill markup for Nov. 6," October 26, 2017
  96. ↑ Senate.gov, "On the Concurrent Resolution (H. Con. Res. 71 As Amended)," October 19, 2017
  97. ↑ The Hill, "Senate narrowly passes 2018 budget, paving way for tax reform," October 19, 2017
  98. ↑ Clerk.House.gov, "Final Vote Results For Roll Call 557," October 5, 2017
  99. ↑ Budget.House.gov, "House FY 18 Budget: Building A Better America," accessed October 5, 2017
  100. ↑ Speaker.gov, "Speaker Ryan Touts On-Time Funding Bills," September 14, 2017
  101. ↑ Clerk.House.gov, "Final Vote Results For Roll Call 528," September 14, 2017
  102. ↑ The Hill, "Senate approves Trump's debt deal with Democrats," September 7, 2017
  103. ↑ 103.0 103.1 Politico, "House sends Harvey aid package to Trump with debt ceiling boost," September 8, 2017
  104. ↑ Treasury.gov, "Debt Limit," July 28, 2017
  105. ↑ Senate.gov, "On the Motion (Motion to Concur in the House Amdt. to the Senate Amdt. with an Amdt. No. 808 to H.R. 601)," September 7, 2017
  106. ↑ The Hill, "Senate approves Trump's debt deal with Democrats," September 7, 2017
  107. ↑ Clerk.House.gov, "Final Vote Results For Roll Call 480," September 8, 2017
  108. ↑ Reuters, "Trump signs spending bill, averting government shutdown," May 5, 2017
  109. ↑ Docs.House.gov, "Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2017," accessed May 3, 2017
  110. ↑ Clerk.House.gov, "Final Vote Results For Roll Call 249," May 3, 2017
  111. ↑ U.S. Senate, "On the Motion (Motion to Concur in the House Amendment to the Senate Amendment to H.R. 244)," May 4, 2017
  112. ↑ The Wall Street Journal, "Congressional Leaders Reach Deal to Fund Government Through Sept. 30," April 30, 2017
  113. ↑ Washington Post, "Congress reaches deal to keep government open through September," May 1, 2017
  114. ↑ 114.0 114.1 NBC News, "Deal on Government Funding Reached, Averting Shutdown," May 1, 2017
  115. ↑ 115.0 115.1 Reuters, "U.S. Congress negotiators set spending plan to avert shutdown, bolster defense," May 1, 2017
  116. ↑ CBS News, VP Mike Pence talks to "CBS This Morning": Full Transcript," May 1, 2017
  117. ↑ USA Today, "Congress passes short-term funding bill to avoid government shutdown," April 28, 2017
  118. ↑ CNN, "Republicans offer plan to keep government open through May 5," April 27, 2017
  119. ↑ Fivethirtyeight.com, "Can Trump Avoid A Government Shutdown On His 100th Day?" April 24, 2017
  120. ↑ The Hill, "McConnell: Senate will pass short-term funding bill to avoid shutdown," April 27, 2017
  121. ↑ The Hill, "Dems threaten to oppose short-term spending bill if GOP pushes healthcare vote," April 27, 2017
  122. ↑ The Hill, "Republicans won't vote on ObamaCare replacement bill this week," April 27, 2017
  123. ↑ WhiteHouse.gov, "America First: A Budget Blueprint to Make America Great Again," accessed March 17, 2017
  124. ↑ WhiteHouse.gov, "Press Briefing by OMB Director Mick Mulvaney Previewing the President's FY18 Budget," accessed March 17, 2017
  125. ↑ 125.0 125.1 The Hill, "Dems to Trump: We won't yield on wall funding," August 23, 2017
  126. ↑ DemocraticLeader.gov, "Pelosi Statement on President Trump’s FY2018 Budget Blueprint," March 16, 2017
  127. ↑ Democrats.Appropriations.House.gov, "Lowey Statement on President Trump's 2018 Budget Request," March 16, 2017
  128. ↑ Twitter, "Matt House," February 27, 2017
  129. ↑ Yahoo.com, "Would potential tax reform be retroactive to January 2017?" accessed March 19, 2017
  130. ↑ Speaker.gov, "Statement on President Trump’s Budget Blueprint," March 16, 2017
  131. ↑ HalRogers.House.gov, "Congressman Rogers' Statement on President Trump's Budget Proposal," March 16, 2017
  132. ↑ Republican Party, "The 2016 Republican Party Platform," accessed August 23, 2016
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