On April 28, the measure Congress approved late last year to keep the government funded for fiscal 2017—known in Beltway lingo as a “continuing resolution”—will expire. Without it, major parts of the government will cease to operate. President Donald Trump’s administration has sent lawmakers a spending proposal that would cover the rest of fiscal 2017, which ends Sept. 30, including major cuts to Title II grants for teaching programs. But so far, Congress hasn’t been eager to enact Trump’s fiscal 2017 spending plan. (All this is separate from Trump’s fiscal 2018 budget plan, in which Title II state grants would be eliminated entirely. That 2018 Trump spending plan also isn’t particularly popular on Capitol Hill.)
Politically, the shutdown would also be notable because unlike during past shutdown showdowns of President Barack Obama’s tenure, Republicans control the legislative and executive branches of government. By no means are we saying it’s a certainty, or even likely. But what happens if Trump and Congress can’t agree on some sort of 2017 spending plan by April 28?
