“Shutdown Showdown: Bipartisan Agreement Averts Fiscal Crisis

As an eleventh-hour deal was reached between the U.S. House and Senate on government funding, the nation breathed a collective sigh of relief that the federal government will remain open. The bipartisan agreement, released on Monday, will keep the government funded until December 11th – just days before the impending deadline which loomed over the negotiating tables. A government shutdown – due to congressional dysfunction to come to a budget agreement – had been a distinct possibility amidst a tumultuous election year. Funding will increase for a number of federal programs, namely the defense budget, border wall funding, and a second oil pipeline. However, the deal does not provide a permanent solution to the issue of government funding. This is just a short-term measure, with Congress tasked with developing a more comprehensive budget agreement by the December 11th deadline. The bill is a product of both parties coming together to work out a short-term response amidst pressure from President Donald Trump, who previously pushed for a vote on the $2.2 trillion relief package proposed earlier this month. The bill passed both chambers in the House and Senate, resulting in a potentially game-changing series of compromises to close the government and consequently end the stall in government operations. This deal grants the federal government with a much-needed stopgap, and much of the credit in negotiating the agreement goes to Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, and their respective staffs, who worked tirelessly throughout the weekend. This may be the start of a new era for U.S. politics; one of bipartisanship and collaboration. Each side may have sacrificed something during the negotiation process, but ultimately, they were able to put aside their differences to reach a mutually beneficial agreement. Despite its limited duration, the deal, and the process to get there, is a potentially revolutionary moment in American politics. The hope now is that Congress will use this agreement as a test case for a more permanent budget solution that doesn’t leave the federal government perpetually in the dark. Only time can tell if this agreement will be the exemplar of bipartisanship that puts all of the parties in agreement. If it is, it could be the first in a long line of agreements that will lay the groundwork for a smoother and more efficient domain of U.S. politics. As an eleventh-hour deal was reached between the U.S. House and Senate on government funding, the nation breathed a collective sigh of relief that the federal government will remain open. The bipartisan agreement, released on Monday, will keep the government funded until December 11th – just days before the impending deadline which loomed over the negotiating tables. A government shutdown – due to congressional dysfunction to come to a budget agreement – had been a distinct possibility amidst a tumultuous election year. Funding will increase for a number of federal programs, namely the defense budget, border wall funding, and a second oil pipeline. However, the deal does not provide a permanent solution to the issue of government funding. This is just a short-term measure, with Congress tasked with developing a more comprehensive budget agreement by the December 11th deadline. The bill is a product of both parties coming together to work out a short-term response amidst pressure from President Donald Trump, who previously pushed for a vote on the $2.2 trillion relief package proposed earlier this month. The bill passed both chambers in the House and Senate, resulting in a potentially game-changing series of compromises to close the government and consequently end the stall in government operations. This deal grants the federal government with a much-needed stopgap, and much of the credit in negotiating the agreement goes to Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, and their respective staffs, who worked tirelessly throughout the weekend. This may be the start of a new era for U.S. politics; one of bipartisanship and collaboration. Each side may have sacrificed something during the negotiation process, but ultimately, they were able to put aside their differences to reach a mutually beneficial agreement. Despite its limited duration, the deal, and the process to get there, is a potentially revolutionary moment in American politics. The hope now is that Congress will use this agreement as a test case for a more permanent budget solution that doesn’t leave the federal government perpetually in the dark. Only time can tell if this agreement will be the exemplar of bipartisanship that puts all of the parties in agreement. If it is, it could be the first in a long line of agreements that will lay the groundwork for a smoother and more efficient domain of U.S. politics.