MO Lawmaker Losing Hope That Congress Can Avoid Another Government Shutdown This Week

The U.S. House is scheduled to vote Tuesday (11/19) on a temporary funding bill that would keep the federal government open for business through December 20th. Missouri Congressman Blaine Luetkemeyer says federal funding is scheduled to run out on Thursday.

“I’m fearful we’re going to be stuck here over the Christmas holidays in a situation where we’re going to wind up pushing this can down the road one more time here because right now the whole process and the whole atmosphere here is so toxic that it’s very difficult to get anything done.”

Luetkemeyer isn’t so hopeful this time.

“I would love to say no, that’s not going to happen. But, I think it’s a very real possibility this time.”

Congress intended to agree on a permanent budget for fiscal 2020 by the end of the week, but talks were derailed over the impeachment inquiry, and fighting over the border wall.

President Trump has indicated he would sign the temporary funding bill.

You’ll remember we went through the longest government shutdown in U.S history around this time last year when hundreds of thousands of federal employees were furloughed and had to work for 35 days without pay while Trump pushed for more than $5 billion in border wall funding.