US government faces threat of Shutdown as Trump battles Congress

Trump is expected to end a program protecting undocumented immigrants brought to the USA as children. Multiple Congressional committees as well as the FBI are investigating Russia’s meddling in the last election and suspicions of the Trump campaign’s collusion in it.

But policy experts and political analysts say the most likely outcome for this crushing deadline push is a series of short-term bills that will in essence “punt” numerous bigger policy fights to later dates. Many expressed hope that the horrors inflicted on Texas by Hurricane Harvey would promote a sense of common objective on Capitol Hill.

Almost two weeks after Hurricane Harvey made landfall in Texas, the U.S. House is scheduled to vote on a nearly $8 billion disaster relief package for those affected by the storm and the consequent flooding.

That will be the easy part.

In 2013, Congress was unable to pass a budget in time for the fiscal year start in October, which led to a government shutdown and the BBC to speculate on the implications of a us default in the global marketplace.

But some House conservatives are opposed to directly pairing disaster aid with an increase in the debt limit, saying it sends the wrong message on overall government spending.

It’s not yet clear whether Congress will take up hurricane aid as a separate bill or tie it to legislation to fund the government or raise the debt ceiling, which White House officials have suggested. That’s the statutory limit on how much total debt the federal government can have.

Senators are launching hearings this week to help Republicans and Democrats decide if they can forge a modest agreement to shore up the nation’s individual insurance markets. The plan for dispensing with that issue was a short-term extension of existing spending levels, which would kick the funding fight into December.

The House has already passed legislation that included $1.6 billion for construction of 74 miles of wall along the 2,000-mile border between the US and Mexico. “Does the debt ceiling increase they propose make it more or less likely that we get bipartisan deals on the things we need to get done this fall, or not”.

Another must-pass measure on the docket is a bill reauthorizing the Federal Aviation Administration, which also faces a deadline of September 30.

There is no time to waste. FEMA is warning lawmakers that disaster funds run out on Friday, even as a Hurricane Irma is bearing down. Should Congress fail to pass new spending directions, it wouldn’t be the first time, and it wouldn’t be the end of the world. GOP lawmakers are still reeling from the failure to repeal the Affordable Care Act earlier this summer, and so is Trump, who in a series of bombastic tweets put the blame on Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell. But many lawmakers want a solution far sooner, noting that additional challenges requiring Congress’ attention could arise at any moment. Trump meets with Democratic and Republican leaders in both chambers Wednesday to discuss the September agenda. First, we must make the tax code as simple as possible. During the health care debate, McConnell and Trump would often speak on the phone, but the president’s only real interest were the headlines of the day, or a segment he had seen on cable news. While some members of the GOP in Congress have signaled their support for a bipartisan bill, such as House Republican Conference Chair Cathy McMorris Rodgers, others will find it hard to spurn their populist base which supports the president’s cruel immigration proposals.

Trump hasn’t tweeted about tax reform amidst Hurricane Harvey’s devastation and North Korea’s nuclear tests, but White House Press Secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders indicated that the president supported the idea of keeping the government opened over fighting for spending cuts.

“Really big fixes and big reform”, Sanders said.

“2017 will be one of least productive Congresses in many years”, said American University political science professor James Thurber.

Questions abound as lawmakers return to Washington from their August recess with a full plate of must-pass bills and numerous campaign promises that remain to be fulfilled.

“It is important that the White House clearly outline what kind of legislation the president is willing to sign”, said Sen.