American citizens are encountering their third government shutdown of the year. This time, it’s because of the on-going issue of funding a wall across the U.S.-Mexico border.
The shutdown began Friday at midnight. The cause of the closure was regarding $5 billion in funding necessary to build a larger, more fortified wall on the country’s southern border. Still in place, Acting White House chief of staff Mick Mulvaney believes that it will remain active well into January when Nancy Pelosi is expected to take over as speaker of the house.
As negotiations continue, Trump has reduced the required funding limit to $2 billion. He also has retreated from requiring an actual wall, instead suggesting a tall, pointed fence of sorts. Trump tweeted a visual mockup of the fence, which gained social media attention.
Progress on resolving the shutdown have remained at a standstill as other political figures refuse to accept funding allocation for the wall to any degree. Senate Minority Whip Dick Durbin (D-Ill.) spoke with NBC regarding the conflict.
“Well, what Chuck Schumer and Nancy Pelosi have both told the president is, we are not going to build a wall, period.”
Senate Minority Whip Dick Durbin (D-Ill.) – NBC
This will be the third government shutdown this year. The first one took place between January 20 through 22. It was primarily regarding Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) immigration policies. The second shutdown was only nine hours long on February 9.
For those not familiar, a government shutdown is when Congress fails to pass, or the President refuses to sign, legislation regarding federal funding. During this time, government employees may be furloughed, a mandatory leave from work, often unpaid.