Photo by Marco Bianchetti on Unsplash

The 2018–2019 partial government shutdown has now gone into its fifth week. There doesn’t seem to be any sign that it will end.

What happened before Week Five? You may want to take a look at my blog post about Week OneWeek TwoWeek Three, and Week Four.

I am hoping that the shutdown ends soon.

January 19, 2019: Day 29 of the Partial Shutdown

  • The Hill posted an article titled: “Shutdown reaches a month: Here’s what you need to know”. From the article:

The longest government shutdown in U.S. history is set to reach a new milestone on Sunday when it hits the one-month mark…

…Roughly 800,000 federal [workers and contractors] missed their first full paycheck on Jan. 11, and they are set to miss a second consecutive paycheck Friday. While Trump signed a bill guaranteeing workers will be paid in full for when the shutdown ends, an increasing number of employees are finding it hard to pay their bills…

Contractors who have been furloughed have been harder hit in some ways since they are not guaranteed any back pay once the government fully reopens. Senate Democrats introduced a bill that would provide back pay to low-wage contractors, up to a certain amount, but that measure has not advanced either.

The Transportation Security Administration has reported a spike in employees not showing up for work. On Thursday, TSA said 6.4 percent of its workforce was absent, most of them citing financial hardship. That’s almost double the 3.8 percent that called out at the same time last year. Ever since TSA officers missed their first paycheck, the number of absentee agency workers has hovered close to 7 percent…

  • Mashable posted an article titled: “Pornhub reports bump in traffic amid government shutdown”. From the article:

…In data released Thursday, the adult video platform reports that traffic showed an average daily increase of 5.94% during the week of Jan. 7 (the shutdown’s third week) over traffic in the weeks before the shutdown, which started on Dec. 22…

  • The Wall Street Journal posted an article titled: “Trump to Support DACA Protections for More Wall Funding”. From the article:

President Trump is planning on Saturday to support protections from deportation for some undocumented immigrants in the U.S. in exchange for $5.7 billion to build the southern border wall, said White House officials familiar with the decision.

Mr. Trump is scheduled to make his announcement at 4:00 pm. Aides cautioned that the announcement has already been delayed once by an hour, and that the president may still change his approach.

To offer to codify protections for young immigrants brought to the U.S. as children, known as Dreamers, is seen as a major concession inside the White House.

The offer is designed to move negotiations forward with a view to ending the impasse over the partial government shutdown, with both sides dug in over the wall. Mr. Trump says extending existing border barriers is needed to curb illegal immigration and Democrats say it is an ineffective and expensive measure…

The New York Times posted an article titled: “Trump Expected to Offer Deportation Reprieves in Exchange for Wall Funding”. From the article:

President Trump is expected to announce on Saturday his support for extending reprieves in exchange for $5.7 billion in funding for a wall along the southern border with Mexico, as Republican lawmakers and White House aides have pressured him to end the shutdown.

Mr. Trump is expected to support extending the legal status of those holding temporary protected status, according to a White House official. The president is also expected to indicate support for the Bridge Act, bipartisan legislation that would allow about 740,000 immigrants who came to the United States illegally as children, known as Dreamers, to keep their work permits and deportation reprieves for three more years if they are revoked. The official, speaking on the condition of anonymity, however, cautioned that the president was quick to change his mind and that his remarks could still shift before his planned announcement from the White House at 4 p.m…

…Democratic lawmaker, however were skeptical of the proposal and signaled that they would not negotiate until the government was reopened. One Democratic aide noted that lawmakers in the party had not been consulted about Mr. Trump’s announcement and in the past had rejected similar overtures…

…On Saturday, Mr. Trump was also expected to host a naturalization ceremony at the White House, a move to underscore the notion that he supports legal immigration.

  • Senator Dick Durbin (Democrat — Illinois) tweeted: “My response to reported White House offer to end President Trump’s government shutdown in exchange for the border wall and DACA:”

The tweet included a screenshot of a statement titled: “Durbin Response to Reported White House Offer to End Trump Shutdown in Exchange for Border Wall and DACA”.

“First, President Trump and Senate Majority Leader McConnell must open the government today. Second, I cannot support the proposed offer as reported and do not believe it can pass the Senate. Third, I am ready to sit down at any time after the government is opened and work to resole all outstanding issues.”

  • Senator Ted Lieu (Democrat — California) tweeted: “Dear @realDonaldTrump: Thank you for your concessions. Democrats look forward to working with you on a comprehensive immigration bill that includes DACA. But we can’t do that in a shutdown. We will never allow a shutdown as a negotiating tactic. Need to reopen government first.”
  • Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi posted a statement on the Speaker of the House website. From the statement:

“Democrats were hopeful that the President was finally willing to re-open government and proceed with a much-needed discussion to protect the border.

“Unfortunately, initial reports make clear that his proposal is a compilation of several previously rejected initiatives, each of which is unacceptable and in total, do not represent a good faith effort to restore certainty to people’s lives. It is unlikely that any one of these provisions alone would pass the House, and taken together, they are a non-starter. For one thing, this proposal does not include the permanent solution for Dreamers and TPS recipients that our country needs and supports.

“Democrats support smart, effective border security solutions:

Increased infrastructure investments at our ports of entry including additional ports and roads;

Advanced technology to scan for drugs, weapons and contraband where the vast majority of drugs come into our country and advanced technology to detect unauthorized crossings;

More customs personnel including filing the more than 3,000 customs and border patrol vacancies; and

More immigration judges.

“Next week, Democrats will pass a package of six bills agreed to by House and Senate negotiators and other legislation to re-open government so that we can fully negotiate on border security proposals…

  • HuffPost posted an article titled: “Government Shutdown Hiking Rent For Hundreds Of Low-Income Tenants”. From the article:

Hundreds of low-income tenants at housing complexes in four states now face rent hikes thanks to the government shutdown.

A property management company told the tenants in a letter this week that because of the shutdown, the federal government is no longer subsidizing their rent…

…The company, Tri-State Management, confirmed it sent the letter to tenants at 28 building in Arkansas, Louisiana, Missouri and Mississippi. Altogether, the apartments have 758 units, but it’s not clear if all the unites received the letter.

An official with Tri-State told HuffPost that eviction proceedings could begin if the shutdown continues past February…

…The buildings are subsidized by a U.S. Department of Agriculture rental assistance program that supports 282,000 households nationwide, most of them with elderly residents. The agency said last week that rental assistance is funded through January.

The federal government’s bigger housing programs, run by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, are funded only through February. Those programs support more than 3 million households…

  • ABC News posted an article titled: “Trump will extend ‘Dreamers’ and TPS protection in exchange for full border wall funding”. From the article:

President Donald Trump announced on Saturday that in exchange for the border wall funding, he would extend temporary protections for so-called “Dreamers” and those with Temporary Protected Status — two key issues for congressional Democrats who nevertheless appeared to hold their ground on refusing the president’s demand for $5.7 billion in wall funding.

“Our plan includes the following $800 million in urgent humanitarian aid, $805 million for drug detection technology to help secure our ports of entry, an addition 2,750 border agents and law enforcement professionals, [and] 75 new immigration judge teams to reduce the court backlog…”

Additionally, Trump promised “critical measures to protect migrant children from exploitation and abuse” and “a new system to allow Central American migrants to apply for asylum in their countries.”

In return, Trump said he wants his $5.7 billion in border funding, which he said would be “a strategic deployment of physical barriers, or a wall.”…

…The continuing shutdown — which could head into it’s second month this week — affects about a quarter of the federal government. Trump has said he will keep the government shut down until and unless the Democrat-controlled House of Representatives heed his demand for $5.7 billion to build more than 200 miles of walls between the U.S. and Mexico borders. Democrats recently offered about $1.3 million for border barrier funding…

  • PayPal posted information titled: “Are you a U.S. federal government employee impacted by the U.S. federal government shutdown? PayPal is here to help.” From the article:

We understand that the current U.S. federal government shutdown is impacting many of our fellow citizens. To assist during this time of uncertainty, we are offering an interest-free one-time cash advance, up to your available credit line for a maximum of $500 (with a minimum amount of $250) to existing or new PayPal Credit customers who are U.S. federal government employees impacted by the shutdown…

  • The New York Times posted an article titled: “Federal Employees Turn to Pawnshops Amid Shutdown’s Financial Pinch”. From the article:

…About 800,000 federal workers have missed a paycheck during the nearly monthlong shutdown. Thousands have filed for unemployment. Private businesses, banks and charitable organizations are offering help in the form of suspended fees and food banks.

Pawnbrokers said they were essentially providing another form of assistance…

  • TSA tweeted: “. @ TSA in collaboration with airport authorities & servicing airlines will be exercising a contingency plan at @ BWI_Airport due to excessive callouts. Checkpoint A will be closing at 5:35pm. Passengers should arrive early for evening flights. Contact airport & airlines for updates.

The tweet mentioned the Baltimore/Washington International Thurgood Marshall Airport, which is located between Baltimore and Washington D.C.

January 20, 2019: Day 30 of the Partial Shutdown

  • President Donald Trump tweeted: “Nancy Pelosi and some of the Democrats turned down my offer yesterday before I even got up to speak. They don’t see crime & drugs, they only see 2020 — which they are not going to win. Best economy! They should do the right thing for the Country & allow people to go back to work.”
  • Robert Reich wrote an opinion piece for The Guardian titled: “The shutdown has exposed the disaster that is Trumponomics”. From the opinion piece:

One of the least talked-about consequences of the partial shutdown of the US government — courtesy of Donald “I’m proud to shut down the government” Trump — is its negative effect on the US economy.

Federal spending accounts for just over 20% of the total economy. When that spigot is turned halfway off, as it is now, demand for goods and services necessarily drops. The result is less investment and slower growth.

Right now some 800,000 government employees aren’t collecting paychecks, Nor are hundreds of thousands of government contractors being paid. None of them can buy as much as before.

It’s just another aspect of Trumponomics, which stands for the highly dubious proposition that prosperity comes from cutting taxes on corporations and the wealthy, while squeezing American workers — the people who do most of the buying…

  • President Donald Trump tweeted: “No, Amnesty is not part of my offer. It is a 3 year extension of DACA. Amnesty will be used only on a much bigger deal, whether on immigration or something else. Likewise, there will be no big push to remove the 11,000,000 plus people who are here illegally — but be careful Nancy!”
  • Bloomberg posted an article titled: “A Top House Democrat Offers a Path to a Deal Ending Shutdown Fight”. From the article:

The No. 3 House Democrat on Sunday offered a path for a deal to end the almost month-long partial government shutdown, focused on a permanent solution for so-called “Dreamer” rather than the three-year reprieve offered by President Donald Trump.

“Let’s go back and forth on this and see where we can find common ground,” House Democratic Whip Jim Clyburn of South Carolina said on “Fox News Sunday.” He spoke a day after Trump made his offer, which was rejected even before he presented it by Speaker Nancy Pelosi and other Democrats.

Clyburn said Democrats would love “to have a permanent fix” fo the undocumented individuals in the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program, or DACA, as well as people from various countries at risk of losing Temporary Protected Status — just as Trump “wants a permanent wall”…

…But Clyburn said Trump should first agree to open up the government to give lawmakers several weeks to negotiate a deal that would include more money for a wall on the southern U.S. border. Trump is demanding $5.7 billion, which the Democrats have flatly rejected…

…The Senate plans a vote as early as Tuesday on a package that would fund the shuttered parts of the federal government to Oct. 1 and provide $12 billion in disaster aid while enacting Trump’s compromise on immigration offer.

Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell will attempt to amend a House-passed spending bill with the text of the new legislation on Tuesday, according to a person familiar with the plan. If he cannot get consent from Democrats to do that, the vote on the bill would be pushed to Thursday, the person said.

The vote would come just before about 800,000 federal workers are set to miss their second paychecks on Friday from the shutdown. The House also plans votes this week on a package containing six of the same seven spending bills…

  • An article from CNBC, posted on November 8, 2018, provides some context to President Trump’s tweet. The article is titled: “US appeals court rules against Trump on DACA immigration program”. From the article:

A U.S. appeals court in California ruled on Thursday that President Donald Trump’s administration must continue a program that began under former President Barack Obama that protects hundreds of thousands of immigrants who were brought into the country illegally as children.

The decision by the San Francisco-based 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals preserves the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program introduced in 2012 that has shielded from deportation a group of immigrants dubbed “Dreamers” and has given them work permits, though not a path to citizenship….

…The three-judge panel rejected the administration’s claim that the decision to end DACA was not reviewable by the courts…

  • An article from NBC News, posted on January 18, 2019, provides more context. The article is titled: “Supreme Court unlikely to Hear Trump DACA appeal”. From the article:

The U.S. Supreme Court took no action on Friday on the future of the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program. It now appears likely that the court will not take up the issue during its current term, which would require the government to keep the program going for at least ten months…

  • CNN posted an article titled: “Voice of America’s journalists aren’t getting paid. But they’re still reporting the news”. From the article:

Voice of America has been busy for the past month covering the partial government shutdown.

But unlike other major news outlets, many of Voice of America’s reporters are working without pay, victims of the shutdown themselves.

The VOA is part of the US Agency for Global Media, which was known until recently as the Broadcasting Board of Governors. The agency is funded by the government, and beams news coverage around the world through networks like VOA, Radio Free Europe, and Radio Martí and on the web.

The offices of the Agency for Global Media are closed. But the newsrooms are open and its reporters are navigating furloughs and lack of pay to keep the news going…

  • The Hill posted an article titled: “GOP rep suggests congressional pay should be revoked during shutdown”. From the article:

Rep. Lee Zeldin (R-N.Y) suggested revoking congressional pay during the partial government shutdown could help expedite negotiations to reopen the government.

“I really do believe that you should lock every member of Congress in a room, bring the president in, no phones, no pay. You’re not leaving until there’s white smoke,” he said on John Catisimatidis’ radio show. “You need to negotiate, compromise with each other, with the president. I think you’d have a deal within maybe 45 minutes.”…

The white smoke that Rep. Lee Zeldin is a reference to how a new Pope is chosen. In short, a Cardinal electors vote on who should become the new Pope (after the previous Pope has died — or retired). They need 77 votes, or a two-thirds majority. If the vote fails to reach two-thirds majority, black smoke comes from the chimney on the Sistine Chapel. If the vote gets two-thirds, white smoke comes from the chimney — signaling that a new Pope has been selected.

  • The Hill posted an article titled: “GOP senator calls Trump immigration offer a ‘straw man proposal’ not meant to become law”. From the article:

Sen. James Lankford (R-Okla.) on Sunday called President Trump’s proposal to extend protections for some immigrants in exchange for wall funding a “straw man proposal” that is not meant to become law.

Lankford said on ABC’s “This Week” that he and other Republicans encouraged the White House to “put out a proposal”.

“They’ve listened to a lot of Democrat and Republican members for the last month. They’ve heard all the demands. They know the background on it. Put out a straw man proposal. Get something out there the president can say ‘I can support this,’ and it has elements from both sides, put it on the table, then open it up for debate,” he said.

“The vote this week in the Senate is not to pass the bill,” Lankford continued. “It is to open up and say, ‘Can we debate this? Can we amend it? Can we make changes?’ Let’s find a way to be able to get the government open because there are elements in this that are clearly elements that have been supported by Democrats strongly in the past.”…

  • CNN posted an article titled: “Federal prisons feel the effects of the shutdown”. From the article:

Conditions behind the walls of the nation’s federal prisons are degrading under the government shutdown, where some correctional officers are being forced to work extended shifts, inmate programs are being canceled, and medical and maintenance workers are being asked to fill in for guards.

Those who are on the job are sometimes held to work 16-hour shifts to fill in the gaps, according to several prison workers and a union president who spoke with CNN.

The situation could put inmates and front line prison workers in danger, said Eric Young, national president of the AFGE Council of Prison Locals…

…Correctional officers, like hundreds of thousands of federal employees, have been working for four weeks without paychecks.

They were already among the lowest-paid federal law enforcement officials, Young said, and the union believes the nation’s prisons are significantly understaffed by around 7,100 positions.

That means when the paychecks stop, the situation is especially dire…

  • Admiral Karl Schultz, the 26th Commandant of the USCG, tweeted: “Today, the 418-foot @ USGC Cutter Bertholf departed for a multi-month deployment in support of a @ DeptofDefense Combatant Commander. Our #USCG members sail around the world to protect U.S. national interests while their loved ones cope w/ financial challenges & no pay at home.”

January 21, 2019: Day 31 of the Partial Shutdown

  • GoFundMe posted a press release on PRNewswire titled: “GoFundMe Launches Government Shutdown Direct Relief Fund”. It was written by GoFundMe CEO Rob Solomon. From the press release:

Today we partnered with Deepak Chopra to launch a GoFundMe providing relief for government workers impacted by the shutdown.

Your donation will be distributed to several nonprofit organizations across the country offering direct assistance to government workers. These nonprofits are doing important work, providing hot meals, necessary counseling, and housing relief. I encourage everyone to support them.

Some of the first nonprofits to receive support include José Andrés and his team of #ChefsForFeds, who are serving thousands of meals in Washington D.C. The line is literally out the door. And in addition to food supplies, the National Diaper Bank Network is providing diapers to parents impacted by the shutdown. We will add more nonprofits as the GoFundMe continues…

…I’m choosing to take action. Deepak Chopra donated $10,000. We’ve matched his $10,000…

  • NBC News posted an article titled: “TSA calls in backup officers as shutdown drags on”. From the article:

The Transportation Security Administration has been calling in officers that usually help with staffing shortages during natural disasters to compensate for a rise in the absences of airport screeners, who have been working without regular pay since the partial government shutdown began more than four weeks ago.

The TSA said unscheduled absences on Saturday reached 8 percent of its 51,000 officers, compared with 3 percent a year ago. The TSA officer are among some 420,000 government employees who have been deemed essential, and have been ordered to work during the shutdown. That group also includes air traffic controllers.

Members of TSA’s National Deployment Force have been sent to several major airports, including at Newark Liberty International airport, LaGuardia airport, and Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International airport, said agency spokesman James Gregory…

…The shutdown, now in its 31st day and the longest ever, has been playing out across the U.S. travel industry, where staffing shortages have led to longer airport security lines and delays in government approval for new aircraft and routes…

  • NPR posted an article titled: “Martin Luther King Jr. National Park Reopens For Holiday, Thanks To A Private Grant” From the article:

Atlanta’s Martin Luther King, Jr. National Historical Park has reopened for the first time since the partial government shutdown began on Dec. 22, thanks to a grant from Delta Air Lines. The deal allows the park to avoid the awkward possiblity that it would be closed on the federal holiday honoring King.

“Without the assistance provided by The Delta Air Lines Foundation, it would have remained closed during the Martin Luther King Jr. holiday weekend,” a National Park Service spokesman told NPR…

…The 35-acre park, which draws more than 670,000 visitors to Atlanta’s Sweet Auburn neighborhood each year, reopened Saturday. With an $83,500 grant from Delta and money from National Park Service recreation fees, it now has enough funds to operate until Feb. 3.

Feb. 3 is also when Atlanta hosts the Super Bowl, and the King park could receive thousands of visitors in town for the game and related events around Mercedes-Benz Stadium, less than 3 miles away…

  • NBC Washington 4 posted an article titled: “Trump, Pence Make Unannounced Visit to Martin Luther King Memorial” From the article:

President Donald Trump and Vice President Mike Pence made a brief surprise visit Monday to the Martin Luther King, Jr. Memorial in Washington, D.C.

The president and vice president arrived at the monument off the National mall and helped move a wreath covered with red, white and blue flowers closer to the statue of King

Both wearing overcoats amid below-zero wind chills, Trump and Pence stood somberly and left about three minutes after they arrived.

Neither Trump nor Pence spoke about their visit nor responded to reporters’ questions about the government shutdown, which hit 31 days on Monday…

  • Boston.com posted an article titled: “Sen. Elizabeth Warren: Government shutdown is Trump’s fault”. From the article”

Sen. Elizabeth Warren ramped up her criticism of President Donald Trump on Monday faulting him for the partial federal government shutdown during remarks at the 49th annual Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial Breakfast in Boston.

“As we speak, our government is shut down for one reason: So that the president of the United States can fund a monument to hate and division along our southern border.” the Massachusetts Democrat said during a 10-minute speech. “This is the old divide-and-conquer strategy. The goal is to turn hardworking people against other hardworking people. The intent is to promote fear and hatred.”

During the event, Warren also responded to Trump’s offer to Democrats on Saturday to open the government in exchange for temporary protections for young immigrants brought to the country illegally as children and those fleeing disaster zones. Warren said Trump must open the government immediately.

“If the president wants to negotiate over immigration reform, I’m all for it,” Warren said after the speech. “But open the government and open it now.”…

  • CNN posted an article titled: “Jon Bon Jovi offering free meals to federal workers during government shutdown”. From the article:

Jon Bon Jovi is the latest celebrity to help out government workers who are not being paid during the government shutdown.

The rocker’s New Jersey restaurant announced in a Facebook post over the weekend that federal worker are welcome to a free meal. JBJ Soul Kitchen, which is operated by the Jon Bon Jovi Soul Foundation, is a non-profit restaurant where customers can dine regardless of whether they are able to pay a suggested donation. They can also volunteer in lieu of paying…

…New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy has also partnered with Bon Jovi to provide free meals…

  • The Washington Post posted and article titled: “Senate Republican all but surrender to Trump on wall despite shutdown’s toll”. From the article:

One month into a historic government shutdown, Republican senators are standing staunchly behind President Trump’s demand for money to build a border wall, even as the GOP bears the brunt of the blame for a standoff few in the party agitated for, according to interviews this past week with more than 40 Republican senators and aides.

Under pressure from conservatives to help Trump deliver on a signature campaign promise and unable to persuade him to avert the government shutdown, these lawmakers have all but surrendered to the president’s will. Their comments show how the cracks in the 53-member Republican majority that emerged at the outset of the shutdown have not spread beyond a handful of lawmakers.

Asked about the pressure from constituents and some of the 800,000 affected federal workers to end the impasse, GOP senators insisted they are facing equal — if not more — insistence to stand behind Trump and his call for $5.7 billion for a U.S. — Mexico border wall, especially from conservative voters…

…Led by McConnell, most GOP senators argue there is little utility in contemplating solutions to the shutdown that don’t have Trump’s blessing…

  • The New York Times posted an article titled: “Shutdown’s Pain Cuts Deep for the Homeless and Other Vulnerable Americans”. From the article:

…One month after the government shutdown began, its effects have begun to hurt some of the most vulnerable Americans: not just homeless people, but also those who are one crisis away from the streets. And nonprofit groups dedicated to helping low-income renters are already scrambling to survive without the lifeblood payments from HUD that began being cut off Jan. 1.

That has left a small but growing number of tenants… in limbo. Landlords, especially smaller management companies operating on narrow margins, have begun pressuring poor, disabled, and elderly tenants who cannot afford to make up the difference.

On Friday afternoon, a TriState Management employee in Newton, Ark., taped notices on the doors of 43 federally subsidized tenants, demanding that they cover the gap between what they typically pay and the full rent…

…A TriState Management employee hung up the phone when asked about the policy on Friday. But lawyers for the poor say that renters can fight evictions in court, and many organizations, including the Fair Housing Center of Maryland, have begun distributing flyers informing tenants of their rights under local law…

…Most other social safety net programs are facing a similar, if less imminent, emergency. The Department of Agriculture has announced that funding for the Supplemental Nutrition Program, which provides food stamps and other aid to almost 40 million poor and working-class Americans, will run out March 1, and other nutrition programs are facing the same fate.

The Department of Health and Human Services was largely exempt from the shutdown and Medicaid and Medicare are not affected by the funding lapse. But Congress failed to reauthorize one of its main programs, the $16.5 billion Temporary Assistance for Needy Families, which provides states with block grants for a range of services, cash welfare and childcare. States are likely to pick up the tab for most programs, but a protracted shutdown lasting into the Spring could result in cutbacks, according to analysts…

…HUD, which funds most of these programs, has been hit not only by the furloughing of 95 percent of its work force, but also by a recent exodus of top staff members. Just days before the shutdown began, the department’s deputy secretary, Pam Patenaude, resigned in what one person with knowledge of the situation described as a forced exit after clashing with the housing secretary, Ben Carson…

  • CBS News posted an article titled: “Shutdown’s damage to economy could exceed $5.7 billion cost of Trump’s border wall”. From the article:

The government shutdown — the longest in U.S. history — is estimated in 31 days to have cost the American economy almost as much as the $5.7 billion President Trump has demanded for his proposed southern border wall.

Average weekly direct and indirect costs of the partial shutdown, which began Dec. 22, currently add up to $1.2 billion, according to Beth Ann Bovino, S&P Global’s U.S. chief economist. Monday marked the start of the shutdown’s fifth week, and the closure will have cost roughly $6 billion in damage to the economy if the government does not reopen by the end of the week, Bovino estimated in a recent research note…

  • ABC Eyewitness News Channel 7 posted an article titled: “KISS members offer free meals to TSA employees impacted by government shutdown”. From the article:

Two members of the legendary rock band KISS are offering TSA employees a free meal.

Gene Simmons and Paul Stanley made their announcement through their Rock and Brews Restaurants’ Facebook page.

TSA employees, impacted during the government shutdown, can get a free pulled pork sandwich or strawberry fields salad at all stand-alone Rock and Brews locations…

January 22, 2019: Day 32 of the Partial Shutdown

  • Speaker Nancy Pelosi tweeted: “This week, @HouseDemocrats will vote on more bipartisan bills to re-open government, and act to bolster funding for border security solutions that work. @realDonaldTrump & @senatemajldr need to stop holding Americans hostage, stop blocking these bills and #EndTheShutdown now.
  • The Guardian posted an article titled: “Senate Republicans announce bill to end shutdown on Trump’s terms”. From the article:

Senate Republicans have released a measure designed around Donald Trump’s proposal for breaking a budget impasse, its centerpiece his demand for a $5.7bn to build a southern border wall, which all but guarantees Democratic opposition and no foreseeable end to a partial government shutdown.

As the shutdown dragged into its 32nd day, a clear record, another missed paycheck loomed for hundreds of thousands of workers. Voting in Congress was not expected to unfold until later in the week. Even then it seemed doubtful that the 1,300-page Senate measure, the “End the Shutdown and Secure the Border Act”, had any chance of passing swiftly.

Senate Republicans hold a 53–47 majority but would need Democrats to reach the usual 60-vote threshold for bills to advance. Not a single Democrat publicly expressed support for Trump’s proposal since he announced it over the weekend. Democratic leadership rejected it before he spoke.

Details of the measure released late Monday highlight the trade-off of border wall funding or temporary protection from deportation for some immigrants. The Republican package would reopen the shuttered parts of the government and boost some spending. To try and draw more bipartisan support, it adds $12.7bn in supplemental funding for regions hit by hurricanes, wildfires and other natural disasters…

…House Democrats this week are pushing ahead with voting on their own legislation to reopen the government and add $1bn for border security — including 75 more immigration judges and infrastructure improvements — but no funding for the wall…

  • Chad Pergram tweeted: “Senate now meeting. Expect McConnell to try to start debate on bill to re-open gov’t & fund wall. If he doesn’t get clearance, he likely has to file cloture to try and cut off the filibuster on the motion to proceed. That requires 60 yeas. No vote until Thursday if by the bk”

Chad Pergram’s bio on Twitter says he wan an Edward R. Murrow Award and the Joan Barone Award for his reporting on Capitol Hill.

  • The FBI Agents Association (FBIAA) released a long report titled: “Voices From the Field: FBI Agent Accounts of the Real Consequences of the Government Shutdown”. From the report:

…For Agents and the FBIAA, the fight for funding is not political. It is a matter of completing our mission and protecting the Constitution and the people of our nation. Agents will continue working to thwart all plots and investigate all incidents, whether child trafficking and exploitation, cyber intrusion, or terrorist attack…

… If the FBI and Department of Justice (“DOJ”) are not funded, the Agents will continue to face challenges in carrying out our mission to protect the nation. Some of the specific ways the shutdown affects our Agents and operations were highlighted in the FIBAA’s petition:

FBI Special Agents are subject to high security standards that include rigorous and routine financial background checks… Missing payments on debts could create delays in securing or renewing security clearances, and could even disqualify Agents from continuing to serve in some cases.

The operations of the FBI require funding. As the shutdown continues, Special Agents remain at work for the American people without being paid, and FBI leadership is doing all ti can to fund FBI operations with increasingly limited resources — this situation is not sustainable.

Pay uncertainty undermines the FBI’s ability to recruit and retain high-caliber professionals… The ongoing financial insecurity caused by the failure to fund the FBI could lead some FBI Agents to consider career options that provide more stability for their families…

  • The Hill posted an article titled: “McConnell urges Dems to ‘take yes for an answer’ on funding offer”. From the article:

Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) is trying to ratchet up pressure on Democrats to support President Trump’s government funding proposal ahead of a key test vote later this week.

McConnell, speaking from the Senate floor on Tuesday, said he is giving the White House offer a vote because it is the only one that “can be signed by the president and immediately reopen the government.”…

…McConnell separately told reporters that he expects a key test vote on the legislation on Thursday, when Democrats are expected to block the bill from getting 60 votes needed to overcome a filibuster…

  • The Guardian did a live feed of the shutdown that included a post by Lauren Gambino titled: “Senate to vote on Thursday”. From that post:

The Senate will vote on Thursday on a pair of bills that would end the partial shutdown of the government now in its fifth week.

The first bill, a Republican-backed measure, would meet the president’s demand for a $5.7bn wall along the southern border in exchange for temporary protections for young undocumented immigrants and the second would extend funding for the agencies that are currently closed through 8 February.

The compromise, reached by Majority Leader Mitch McConnell and Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, is the first sign of progress after a 32-day stalemate over the partial shutdown, which has left as many as 800,000 government workers without pay…

It’s far from certain whether either bill can garner enough support to pass the chamber. Democrats, who are opposed to a wall, likely have the votes to block Trump’s proposal. The Democratic proposal would have to win the support of at least 13 Republicans to reach the 60-vote threshold…

  • Speaker Nancy Pelosi posted a statement on the Speaker of the House website. It was titled: “Pelosi Statement on Senate Vote on House-Passed Bill to Re-Open Government”.

Speaker Pelosi issues this statement in advance of the scheduled Senate votes, first on the President’s unacceptable, radical immigration and border demands, and the second, on legislation to re-open the government with a House-passed package consisting of a continuing resolution through February 8 in addition to the disaster supplemental legislation:

“On Thursday, the Senate will have the oppertunity to put a bipartisan bill on the President’s desk to re-open government and end this senseless shutdown.

“Families across the nation have been suffering under the shutdown for more than a month. There is no excuse for Senate Republicans not to pass this legislation, which contains the funding proposal that they have already supported.

“ Senate Republicans need to re-open government, not continue their complicity in the Trump Shutdown with a vote for the President’s unacceptable border and immigration schemes that only increase the chaos and suffering at the border.

“The Senate GOP and President Trump must stop holding the American people hostage, and re-open government immediately.

  • CNN posted an article titled: “Email: TSA makes plea for backup as shutdown drags on”. From the article:

The Transportation Security Administration is making a plea for 250 people to bolster its workforce of backup officers, the latest sign the agency is straining under the pressure of the shutdown, according to an internal email sent Monday morning from a TSA executive obtained exclusively by CNN.

The email, sent to TSA officials in more than 10 states with more than 100 airports, asks for employees to move from their home airports to those airports struggling with low staffing, an indication the agency is bracing for even more callouts…

…This is the second such request for more backup screeners to help fill gaps, according to the email and a TSA official familiar with its contents.

All members of the agency’s National Deployment team, a rapid response team comprising of TSA officers can be sent to airports across the country to help fill the staffing gaps, have already been dispatched, according to the email. The team has been used to patch up gaps at airports in Atlanta, New York, Chicago, and elsewhere as the partial government shutdown extends into its fifth week…

January 23, 2019: Day 33 of the Partial Shutdown

  • Morning Consult posted an article titled: “Trump’s Disapproval Hits Record High Amid Government Shutdown”. From the article:

As the partial government shutdown entered its second month Monday, the share of voters disapproving of President Donald Trump’s job performance reached its highest point in his first two years in office.

According to the latest Morning Consult/Politico poll, conducted Jan. 18–22, 57 percent of registered voters disapprove of Trump’s job performance — more than any other survey in Trump’s two years in office — while 40 percent approve. The 17-percentage point deficit matches two previous lows of the Trump presidency: in the first weekend of the shutdown, which began on Dec. 22, and in the wake of his comments regarding the fatal riots in Charlottesville, Va., in August 2017…

…When it comes to his plans for the border, nearly half of voters (49 percent) oppose construction of a wall along the U.S.-Mexico border, up 2 points (the polls’ margins of error) since a Jan. 4–6 Morning Consult/Politico poll. Forty-three percent of voters support construction of the wall, the same share of voters as the poll conducted earlier this month…

  • Alex Moe (NBC News Capitol Hill Producer and off-air reporter) tweeted: “NEW: House GOP retreat scheduled for next week in West Virginia has been POSTPONED to date TBD because of shutdown, per two sources. Announcement was made in closed conference meeting this morning.”
  • Forbes posted an article titled: “IRS Workers, Called Back to Work, Are Asking To Stay Home Instead, Raising Questions About Tax Season And Refunds”. From the article:

Less than a week before tax season is slated to open for the new filing season, Internal Revenue Service (IRS) doors remain largely closed. However, as part of the IRS Shutdown Contingency Plan, 46,052 employees have been designated as “exempted/exempt,” sending tens of thousands of IRS employees back to work without pay. However, some are fighting back by asking for permission to stay home. Those absences are throwing the tax season open into question and raising concerns about whether the IRS will be able to process tax returns and issue taxpayer refunds on time…

…IRS employees who are asking to stay home are using a clause in their union contracts that offers an exemption for an economic hardship. The exemption is based on financial circumstances and is not limited to the shutdown.

That union, the National Treasury Employees Union (NTEU), represents 150,000 employees at 33 federal agencies and departments including the Environmental Protection Agency, the Food & Drug Administration, the National Park Service, and the U.S. Department of Agriculture…

…Employees have already missed one paycheck due to the shutdown. IRS employees will skip a second paycheck next week if the government does not reopen. That’s a tough situation for many workers, especially since nearly 80% of Americans live paycheck to paycheck…

  • White House Press Secretary Sara Sanders tweeted: “President Trump’s letter to Speaker Pelosi on the State of the Union”. The tweet included an image of the letter, which said:

Dear Madam Speaker,

Thank you for your letter of January 3, 2019, sent to me long after the Shutdown began, inviting me to address the Nation on January 29th as to the State of the Union. As you know, I had already accepted your kind invitation, however, I then received another letter from you dated January 16, 2019, wherein you expressed concerns regarding security during the State of the Union Address due to the Shutdown. Even prior to asking, I was contacted by the Department of Homeland Security and the United States Secret Service to explain that there would be absolutely no problem regarding security with respect to the event. They have since confirmed this publicly.

Accordingly, there are no security concerns regarding the State of the Union Address. Therefore, I will be honoring your invitation and fulfilling my Constitutional duty, to deliver important information to the people and Congress of the United States of America regarding the State of the Union.

I look forward to seeing you on the evening of January 29th in the Chamber of the House of Representatives. It would be very sad for our Country if the State of the Union were not delivered on time, on schedule, and very importantly, on location!…

  • Speaker Nancy Pelosi responded to President Trump’s letter with a letter of her own. That letter was posted on the Speaker of the House website. From the letter:

Dear Mr. President:

When I extended an invitation on January 3rd for you to deliver the State of the Union address, it was on the mutually agreed upon date, January 29th. At that time, there was no thought that the government would still be shut down.

In my further correspondence of January 16th, I said we should work together to find a mutually agreeable date when government has re-opened and I hope that we can still do that.

I am writing to inform you that the House of Representatives will not consider a concurrent resolution authorizing the President’s State of the Union address in the House Chamber until government has opened.

Again, I look forward to welcoming you to the House on a mutually agreeable date for this address when government has been opened…

  • USA Today posted an article titled: “Trump abandons plans to give State of the Union in the House, says he will look for another site”. From the article:

President Donald Trump has abandoned his push to deliver the State of the Union address in the House chamber next week and says he will look for another location…

Trump’s decision to scout out an alternative site for the speech followed another round of salvos between him and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi over the annual address…

…Republican officials in Michigan and North Carolina have invited Trump to give his speech in their states…

The Hill posted an article titled: “McConnell blocks bill to reopen most of government”. From the article:

Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) blocked legislation on Wednesday that would reopen most of the government currently closed during the partial shutdown.

Sen. Tim Kaine (D-Va.) went to the Senate floor to ask for consent to take up the House-passed bill that would fund every agency and department impacted by the partial shutdown, except the Department of Homeland Security, through Sept. 30.

McConnell, however, objected. It’s the forth time he’s blocked the bill to reopen most of government. He has also blocked, as recently as Tuesday, a House-passed bill to fund the Department of Homeland Security through Feb. 8…

  • Lexington Herald Leader posted an article titled: “Lexington police order shutdown protester away from Sen. Mitch McConnell’s office.” From the article:

Lexington police ordered several dozen protesters to leave the lobby of a Corporate Drive building Wednesday where they had gathered outside of the district office of U.S. Sen. Mitch McConnell.

The protesters, including unpaid federal employees from around Central Kentucky, were trying to deliver a letter to McConnell’s staff demanding that the Senate Republican Leader reopen the government. But McConnell’s staff locked the office’s glass door and refused to open it…

…After a few minutes, several police officers arrived on scene and loudly ordered anyone who did not work in the building to leave.

The protestors quickly complied, moving outside to the windy, rainy parking lot…

  • Kristin Mink tweeted several photos and video of the protest outside Senator Mitch McConnell’s district office. She, and others, used the #OccupyHart hashtag to post comments, photos and videos of that protest.
  • Senator Cory Gardner (Republican — Colorado) posted a press release on his official website. It was titled: “Gardner to Introduce Legislation to Pay Federal Workers”. From the press release:

Senator Cory Gardner (R-CO) announced he will introduce legislation tomorrow to immediately pay federal workers affected by the current lapse in appropriations. The legislation would appropriate funds for all federal employees to be paid their standard pay during the shutdown regardless of their furlough status. With this bill, once the shutdown ends and regular appropriations are made, the amounts paid to compensate the federal employees will be deducted from the department’s full year appropriations to avoid any windfalls for the department.

“I’ve made it clear that I do not believe government shutdowns are ever the right answer,” said Senator Gardner. “We must reopen the government, and I will continue working with my colleagues on both sides of the aisle to find a solution. In the interim, our federal workers should not be deprived of their paychecks. My legislation provides peace of mind for our 800,000 government employees who are struggling to make ends meet. I’ve heard firsthand from Coloradans who have been impacted by the ongoing shutdown. These families are in real pain and deserve relief”.

  • USA Today posted an article titled: “Exclusive: Trump ally Gingrich says White House, GOP should sweeten shutdown offer to attract Democrats”. From the article:

Newt Gingrich, the former speaker of the House and an ally of President Donald Trump, urged the White House and Senate Republican leaders to make changes to Trump-endorsed border legislation coming to a vote this week to attract more Democratic votes.

“I think that’s misdesigned. I mean, you either design a deal that gets you Democrats, or you don’t,” Gingrich told USA Today on the 33rd day of the government shutdown. “If you’re trying to attract people with sugar, you shouldn’t pour vinegar in top of it.”…

…Gingrich said White House aides, who have been working with the Senate Republicans on the legislation that is scheduled for a vote on Thursday, made a “big mistake” by including provisions in it that Democrats strongly oppose, such as making it harder for minors from Central America to seek aslyum…

January 24, 2019: Day 34 of the Partial Shutdown

  • The Hill posted an article titled: “Fox News poll: 51 precent say Trump is most responsible for shutdown”. From the article:

A majority of Americans say President Trump is most responsible for the ongoing partial government [shutdown] according to a new poll from Fox News.

The survey, which was conducted with the help of Beacon Research and released on Wednesday, found that 51 percent of registered voters think Trump bears the most responsibility for the shutdown…

…The poll found that support for Trump’s long-sought border wall has risen in the past few months. Forty-three percent of respondents said they favorited building a wall, a slight increase from the 39 percent who said they supported it in September 2018. Meanwhile, 51 percent who said they opposed construction of a wall along the southern border…

  • NBC News posted an article titled: “Trump says he will not give State of the Union until government shutdown is over”. From the article:

President Donald Trump late Wednesday announced he would not hold a State of the Union address until after the partial government shutdown, now in its fifth week, is over.

The announcement made shortly after 11p.m. ET seemingly put to rest a dispute between the president and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., over whether the address would be held…

…The president is not allowed to speak in the chamber, the traditional spot for the State of the Union address, unless the House and Senate pass a resolution allowing him to do so.

  • Erica Werner (Washington Post correspondent — formerly AP) tweeted: “McConnell tells reporters: “My hope is that we will pass the proposal that could be signed into law and solve the problem, and that we will not pass the alternative which does not have a chance of becoming law and solving the problem.” Did not respond when asked next step.”
  • Senator Joe Manchin (Republican — West Virginia) tweeted: “Today I will vote for both gov funding bills b/c I believe we must end this harmful shutdown immediately & its our first opportunity in the Senate to do so. Even though they will probably fail, these votes are a start to finding a way to reopen the gov & get WVians back to work”
  • The Washington Nationals tweeted: “The #Nats foundation has donated $100,000 to Capital Area Food Bank to support those affected by the partial government shutdown. You can extend our impact by donating to the cause, today Nationals.com/FoodBank”
  • The Senate voted on H.R. 268 Supplemental Appropriations Act, 2019. The summary of this bill says:

This bill provided $12.1 billion in FY2019 supplemental appropriations to several federal departments and agencies for expenses related to the consequences of recent wildfires, hurricanes, volcanoes, earthquakes, typhoons, and other natural disasters.

The funding provided by this bill is designated as emergency spending, which is exempt from discretionary spending limits and other budget enforcement rules.

The bill includes appropriations for the following Departments: Agriculture; Commerce; Justice; Defense; Interior; Energy; Homeland Security; Environmental Protection Agency; Health and Human Services; Labor; Education; Veterans Affairs; Transportation; and Housing and Urban Development.

It also provides appropriations for: U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, the Forest Service, and the Government Accountability Office.

The vote on H.R. 268 Supplemental Appropriations Act, 2019 required 3/5 of votes in order to pass. It received 50 YEAS and 47 NAYS. Three Senators did not vote. This means that the bill failed.

The Guardian reported that H.R. 268 was “a Trump-backed proposal”.

A proposal that would have given Trump funding for his wall and re-open the shuttered departments of the government failed in a 50–47 vote. The measure needed 60 votes to pass.

Almost all of the YEA votes came from Republicans. Senator Joe Manchin (Democrat — West Virginia) also voted YEA.

Almost all of the NAY votes came from Democrats. Senator Angus King (Independent — Maine) and Senator Bernie Sanders (Independent — Vermont) also voted NAY. Senator Tom Cotton (Republican — Arkansas), and Senator Mike Lee (Republican — Utah) also voted NAY.

Three Senators did not vote: Senator Rand Paul (Republican — Kentucky), Senator James Risch (Democrat — Idaho), and Senator Jacky Rosen (Democrat — Nevada). The Reno Gazette Journal reported that Senator Rosen missed the vote because she was recovering from a wrist injury sustained during a Martin Luther King Day parade in Las Vegas.

The vote required 3/5 in order to pass. It received 52 YEAs and 44 NAYS, which means that the bill failed. Four Senators did not vote.

The Guardian reported:

A Democratic plan that would extend current funding levels for two weeks and open the shuttered departments has failed, albeit by a smaller margin than Trump’s proposal.

Almost all of the YEA votes came from Democrats. Senator Angus King (Independent — Maine), and Senator Bernie Sanders (Independent — Vermont) also voted YEA.

Senator Lamar Alexander (Republican — Tennessee), Senator Susan Collins (Republican — Maine), Senator Cory Gardner (Republican — Colorado), Senator Johnny Isakson (Republican — New Hampshire), Senator Lisa Murkowski (Republican — Alaska), and Senator Mitt Romney (Republican — Utah) all voted YEA.

The following Senators did not vote: Richard Burr (Republican — North Carolina), Rand Paul (Republican — Kentucky), Senator James Risch (Democrat — Idaho), and Senator Jacky Rosen (Democrat — Nevada)

  • Nathan R. Catura, National President of Federal Law Enforcement Officers Association posted an “Open Letter to the President”. From the letter:

Dear President Trump,

Today marks the second paycheck that government employees will miss because of the government shutdown. This includes federal law enforcement officers, many of whom are protecting the border. While these federal law enforcement officers work, bills and mortgages mount with no clear pay back date.

The Federal Law Enforcement Officers Association (FLEOA) represents almost 27,000 federal agents and officers in 65 federal agencies. All of our members are working with no pay, due to their positions being deemed essential for national security.

The situation has become so dire that a GoFundMe page has been established for federal employees, soup kitchens are advertising availability, and donations are being made around the nation to assist federal employees, including federal law enforcement officers. Mr. President, it is reprehensible that those working to protect America are being put in this perilous position…

…Mr. President, we all agree that our nation’s borders need to be secured but right now, those we’ve asked to do so are more focused on how to pay their bills.

January 25, 2019: Day 35 of the Partial Shutdown

  • CNBC posted an article titled: “Air traffic controller shortage delays flights at several major US airports”. From the article:

An increase in sick leave among air traffic controllers delayed flights at several major airports in the eastern U.S. on Friday, the Federal Aviation Administration said.

Fights at New York’s LaGuardia Airport, Newark Liberty International Airport and Philadelphia International Airport were delayed on Day 35 of the partial government shutdown. More than 14,000 air traffic controllers and thousands of others federal aviation workers have been deemed essential and have been ordered to work even though they aren’t receiving regular pay due to the impasse between lawmakers and President Donald Trump over finding for a wall along the U.S. border with Mexico.

The FAA briefly halted flights into LaGuardia and some arriving flights were delayed almost an hour and a half, the agency said. By early afternoon, delays had moderated at Philadelphia and Newark, but had picked up at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International airport, the world’s busiest and a hub of Delta Air Lines, according to the FAA…

  • CNBC tweeted: “JUST IN: FAA releases statement amid air traffic delays at LGA, EWR, PHL; agency said it has “experienced a slight increase in sick leave at two facilities”. The tweet included an image of a statement from the FAA that said:

“We have experienced a slight increase in sick leave at two facilities. We’ve mitigated the impact by augmenting staffing, rerouting traffic, and increasing spacing between aircraft when needed. The results have been minimal impacts to efficiency while maintaining consistent levels of safety in the national airspace system. The public can monitor air traffic at fly.faa.gov and they should check with airline carriers for more information.”

  • President Donald Trump delivered remarks regarding the partial government shutdown outside of the White House. A tweet of a video of his remarks was posted on the @ realDonaldTrump website. A key quote from the video is:

… “In a short while, I will sign a bill to open our government for three weeks until February 15th. I will make sure that all employees receive their backpay very quickly, or as soon as possible. It’ll happen fast.

I am asking Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell to put this proposal on the floor immediately.

After 36 days of spirited debate and dialogue, I have seen and heard from enough Democrats and Republicans that they are willing to put partisanship aside … I think… and put the security of the American people first. I do believe they’re going to do that….

  • Senator Bernie Sanders tweeted: “How pathetic. On Dec. 19, the Senate unanimously passed essentially the same legislation that we will vote on today. We are back to exactly where we started. Thank you, Mr. President, for shutting down the government and holding 800,000 federal employees hostage. All for nothing!”
  • Ben Jacobs (political reporter for The Guardian) tweeted: “INBOX: McConnell Supports President’s Plan to Re-Open the Government”.

The tweet included an image of a statement from Senator Mitch McConnell. The statement was titled: “McConnell Supports President’s Plan to Re-Open the Government”. From the statement:

… “For weeks, I’ve states that I wouldn’t let the Senate become a theater for show votes and messaging stunts from either side. We’d only vote on plans that stood an actual chance of being signed by the president and becoming law.

“So I was glad to see today the president’s announcement that he and Democrats have reached an agreement that will immediately re-open the government, while providing the room to negotiate a funding bill for the Department of Homeland Security. Further, negotiations on DHS will be prioritized over consideration of any other funding bills. And with cooperation, we can pass legislation opening the government and send the DHS appropriations bill to a conference with the House today…

  • Alex Moe (Capitol Hill producer for NBC News and Off-Air reporter) tweeted: “House Freedom Chair Mark Meadows doesn’t oppose this 3wk CR — even though he did in December and was adamant the President not sign the CR to avert a shutdown — but also says executive action under consideration”.

The tweet included an image of a statement from Representative Mark Meadows. From the statement:

“Throughout this process, President Trump has made numerous offers and repeatedly expressed willingness to engage with Democrats about a compromise — but failure to fund needed physical barriers along our southern border is still not an option. The President is sticking by his commitment to keep our communities safe and has assured me that nothing will deter him from accomplishing that goal. His resolve remains steadfast. Democrats now have yet another opportunity to come to the table and negotiate, where all Americans will be able to judge for themselves whether they’re truly serious about securing our border. If negotiations don’t result in a solution, executive action is still very much under consideration.”

  • The Los Angeles Times posted an article titled: “Trump agrees to end government shutdown without any border wall money”. From the article:

President Trump on Friday announced a deal to temporarily end the longest government shutdown in U.S. history, capitulating — for now — on his demand for billions of taxpayer dollars to build a southern border wall.

A day after the Senate defeated competing proposals to reopen the government and as the financial pain from the shutdown spread across the nation, Trump on Friday said it was time to end a standoff he had defended only a day earlier.

The deal includes a three-week extension of government funding through Feb. 15 and an agreement to continue negotiations on border security, including the debate over the wall. Federal workers will receive back pay for the time they were furloughed…

…The agreement — which largely mirrors what Democrats have been suggesting — came as three major East Coast airports reported slowdowns Friday due to unpaid air traffic controllers calling in sick…

…Most public opinion polls increasingly put the blame for the shutdown squarely on Trump, who boasted before it began that he would happily accept full responsibility because he believed building a wall was vital to protecting the U.S.-Mexico border…

…Serious negotiations to end the shutdown began Thursday afternoon, shortly after the Senate voted down the two partisan bills.

Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell of Kentucky met with Minority Leader Charles E. Schumer of New York after the votes, according to a Democratic aide familiar with the talks.

McConnell first offered a short-term funding bill in exchange for some border wall money. Schumer said Democrats would not support wall funding. Schumer countered with a short-term spending bill and plan to discuss border security in a Senate-House conference. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-San Francisco) also agreed to the approach, the aide said…

…There is no assurance that the deal won’t result in another government shutdown when the new funding measure expires, a point that worries some lawmakers…

  • The Hill posted an article titled: “Trump agrees to end shutdown without getting wall funding”. From the article:

President Trump said Friday he will back a short-term funding bill to reopen the government that does not include funds to construct a wall along the southern border, bowing to mounting pressure fueled by growing disruption due to the lengthy shutdown…

  • C-SPAN tweeted: “.@ SpeakerPelosi: “Disagreement in policy should never be a reason to shut down the government”. The tweet included a video of Speaker Nancy Pelosi speaking. From the video:

A disagreement in policy should never be a reason to shutdown government. It really shouldn’t. Especially, again, for a period of time that has an impact on the paychecks. And I’m sad it has taken this long. I’m glad that we have come to a conclusion today as to how we go forward in the next three weeks.

And, again, I salute the Democratic leader in the Senate and the work that he did to bring this… because in the House, we’ve passed ten bill.. ten times we’ve passed a bill. Working with our leadership, Mr. Hoyer, ten times we’ve brought bills to the floor to open up government. To open up government.

And the most recent one that was presented on the Senate floor yesterday was simple. $12 billion dollars for disaster assistance and opening government for two weeks.

The Republicans said no. I think the public weighed in. And, I quote Lincoln all the time: “Public sentiment is everything. With it you can accomplish almost anything.”

We thank the public for weighing in so strongly, for paying attention. And I think that will be the success of this conference. Again, as an appropriator, I’ve participated in many conferences when we used to have them. This conference, that the public awareness is so increased, and the public interest in it is so sharpened. They will see what the decisions are that we make, and help weight in on the decisions.

  • The New York Times posted an article titled: “Trump Agrees to Reopen Government for 3 Weeks in Surprise Retreat from Wall”. From the article:

…The decision paved the way for Congress to pass spending bills as soon as Friday that Mr. Trump will sign to restore normal operations at a series of federal agencies until Feb. 15 and begin paying again the 800,000 federal workers who have been furloughed or forced to work for free for 35 days.

The plan includes none of the money for the wall that he demanded and was essentially the same approach that Mr. Trump rejected at the end of December, meaning he won nothing concrete during the impasse. But if Republicans and Democrats cannot reach an agreement on wall money by the February 15 deadline, he indicated that he was ready to renew the confrontation or declare a national emergency and bypass Congress altogether.

“We really have no choice but to build a powerful wall or steel barrier,” Mr. Trump said in the Rose Garden. “If we don’t get a fair deal from Congress, the government will either shut down on February 15, or I will use the powers afforded to me under the laws and Constitution of the United States to address this emergency.”…

A Timeline of the 2018-2019 Partial Government Shutdown – Week Five was originally posted on Medium in two parts. The first part was posted on January 19, 2019, and the second part was posted on January 23, 2019. Both were periodically updated as the shutdown continued.

A Timeline of the 2018-2019 Partial Government Shutdown – Week Five is a post written by Jen Thorpe on Book of Jen and is not allowed to be copied to other sites.

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