Will there be a government shutdown? Lawmakers secure tentative deal as time runs short

WASHINGTON – Top lawmakers have secured a deal in principle on the final set of spending bills needed to fund the government long term and avert a partial shutdown after last-minute issues put a snag on negotiations.

Negotiators were initially hoping to release legislation on Sunday, but hold ups over border security funding are brought closer to the March 22 deadline lawmakers set for themselves earlier this year. If Congress can’t pass a deal by 12:01 a.m. Saturday, the country will see a partial shutdown.

Negotiators reached a tentative deal on Monday evening after coming to an agreement on funding for the Department of Homeland Security which proved to be the most contentious issue area, according to a person familiar with the negotiations. Lawmakers and staffers are now racing to draft legislation text as soon as possible to allow Congress to process the final spending package.

Here’s what you need to know about a possible partial government shutdown.

Will there be a partial government shutdown?

Here’s the background: Congress has to pass 12 individual spending bills to fund the government long term.

Lawmakers already passed six of them earlier this month. Now, leaders are working to finalize a deal on the remaining six bills, which fund about 70% of the federal government. They're related to:

• Defense

• Financial Services and General Government

• Homeland Security

• Labor, Health and Human Services, Education

• Legislative Branch

• State and Foreign Operations

The main conflicts with the final spending deal were within Homeland Security due to broad disagreements over border security funding and immigration policy. House Republicans last year called for a sweeping, hardline border deal, but the Senate has taken different approaches in recent months and lawmakers have failed to coalesce around a solution to address the crisis at the southern border..

The timing of when a deal is released this week is also critical. House Republican leaders would like to abide by the lower chamber’s rule requiring legislation be released for 72 hours to allow lawmakers to read bills first before they cast a formal vote.

It is still unclear when legislation text will be released to allow lawmakers to review the bill, meaning a partial government shutdown, albeit a likely short one over the weekend, could still happen.

Racing against time

The effects of a partial shutdown may be minor depending on it's length and if it only occurs during the weekend.

After the final package passes the House, the funding package could easily hit some last-minute complications in the Senate. Procedural snags – which have already occurred several times with government funding deals – are common in the Senate and they risk delaying a deal's passage.

Those hurdles could push the country into a partial government shutdown, but if lawmakers wrap up their work over the weekend or early after the lapse in funding, Americans aren’t likely to feel the brunt of a shutdown’s effects.

What happens during a government shutdown?

If the country does enter a partial government shutdown and lawmakers aren't able to reach an agreement quickly, real effects could hit Americans from coast to coast.

A government shutdown means all officials and federal agencies not deemed “essential” have to stop their work and close their doors. When the government does shut down, thousands of federal employees are furloughed.

If Congress can’t come to a deal on the remaining six bills, “essential” federal workers, such as air traffic controllers, work without pay, but they will receive back pay once a shutdown ends. Some government subcontractors could also be out of work and would not receive back pay.

A shutdown can also have significant impacts on Americans who don't work for the federal government. For example, depending on a person's location, they can lose access to HeadStart programs for childcare.

Lawmakers have already passed funding for the Department of Agriculture, so many nutrition and food safety programs aren't currently at risk of being hit.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Will there be a government shutdown? Top lawmakers secure funding deal