Federal Government Policy and Business

After holiday break, shutdown threat looms for Congress

Defense News: WASHINGTON — After Congress returns from its Thanksgiving recess, budget forecasters are hoping for a year-end spending deal, a pre-Christmas miracle to avert a government shutdown.

But by no means is a deal in hand.

Multiple reports suggest that as 2017 winds down, a showdown is heating up over whether any spending deal will include a remedy for undocumented immigrants who came to the U.S. as minors. House Speaker Paul Ryan, R-Wis., has said no, but a bloc of House Democrats have demanded it for their votes on any year-end funding bill.

Though federal spending runs out Dec. 8, Ryan has hinted there will be another stopgap continuing resolution, or CR, to keep the government open while lawmakers wrangle. He has said he expects a spending deal to be final by year’s end.

Read article