Today is Day 17 of the federal government shutdown. Both the House and Senate are out of session today, so we do not expect votes today on a continuing resolution (CR) to reopen the government. When the Senate returns Monday afternoon, Senate Leader Thune (R-SD) will tee up a vote on the Senate floor for later in the week on legislation to continue paying federal workers and members of the military during the shutdown. The shift in strategy comes after 10 failed votes to reopen the government, a failed vote yesterday to pass a full-year spending bill for Defense programs, and no end in sight. Frustrations are running high in the Senate!
Congressional leaders from both parties are essentially waiting for President Trump to jump into negotiations. Both parties know that negotiations cannot happen until/unless the president becomes involved.
In the meantime, the Administration is continuing its efforts to pressure Democrats. The White House is hitting pause on $11 billion in Army Corps of Engineers projects in blue cities including New York, San Francisco, Boston, and Baltimore, and it is "considering them for cancellation."
Take Action
The only way to end the government shutdown is for Congress and the White House to reach a bipartisan agreement to reopen the government and allow nonprofits to continue their essential work.
You can take action:
Share Your Story Use NCN's storytelling tool to share real examples of how the government shutdown is harming nonprofits and their communities. Sharing these stories is one of the most effective ways to make your voice heard.
Contact Your Members of Congress. Use NCN's email template to send a message directly to your Senators and Representatives, urging them to work across the aisle to reopen the government.