Among the Democratic ranks in the House, the objections were also strenuous, but for reasons very different from Mr. Paul’s.

With the monthslong budget impasse appearing to be on the cusp of a resolution, lawmakers were girding for a fight over the fate of young immigrants who were brought to the country illegally as children, known as Dreamers, as well as Mr. Trump’s plan to build a wall along the southern border with Mexico and other possible immigration policy changes.

The uncertain outlook for immigration legislation, and the disagreements on the best strategy to move forward, was starkly apparent as Ms. Pelosi commanded the House floor for more than eight hours on Wednesday in an effort to help the young immigrants. She said she would oppose the budget deal unless Mr. Ryan offered a commitment to hold a vote on legislation in the House that would address the fate of the Dreamers.

On Thursday, Ms. Pelosi herself displayed the conflicting pressures on Democrats. She simultaneously hailed the budget deal while proclaiming she would vote against it. In a letter to colleagues, she explained her opposition to the deal, but also nodded to its virtues and held back from pressuring other Democrats to vote against it.

“I’m pleased with the product,” she told reporters. “I’m not pleased with the process.”

In his own comments to reporters on Thursday, Mr. Ryan stressed his desire to address the fate of the young immigrants. But he did not offer the kind of open-ended commitment that might assuage Ms. Pelosi. Instead, he signaled that whatever bill the House considers would be one that Mr. Trump supports.

“To anyone who doubts my intention to solve this problem and bring up a DACA and immigration reform bill, do not,” he said. “We will bring a solution to the floor, one that the president will sign.”

Just before the vote on Friday morning, Mr. Ryan offered a further reassurance about his commitment to addressing DACA. Once the budget deal has been approved, he said, “we will focus on bringing that debate to this floor and finding a solution.”</s>The United States House of Representatives has passed a budget deal early on Friday following approval by the Senate, thus putting an end to a brief government shutdown caused by a senator who delayed the bill so it would miss the funding deadline.

The lower chamber of Congress passed the measure in a 240-186 vote, with some Democratic Party members joining Republicans to pass the measure.

The $300-billion bill, which directs a funding increase for defense and domestic expenditures, was now set to head to President Donald Trump's desk for his signature, in order for the government's reopening to come into effect.

Republican Senator Rand Paul from Kentucky had filibustered a resolution to avert the shutdown on Thursday, arguing that his party was becoming complicit in deficit spending and describing it as the very definition of hypocrisy.</s>The Senate failed to reach a deal to fund the government, officially shutting down the government for the first time since 2013. Federal agencies have been preparing for the possibility of a shutdown, putting together lists of their essential services and the employees needed to perform those services.
• None Lawmakers rush to gather support for spending bill as shutdown looms
• None How would a government shutdown affect the U.S. economy? 



"We're ready if that's what happens. We hope not," said Secretary of State Rex Tillerson. Essential workers would remain on duty, but hundreds of thousands of federal workers would be idled, and some other services that are deemed non-essential would stop.

Here are the answers to some of the questions about the impact of a government shutdown:

Federal school breakfast and lunch programs would continue, and Supplemental Nutrition Assistance (SNAP) would also continue to be funded. But the Women, Infants and Children (WIC) program might be affected.

Can I still get a passport?

Maybe. But it's probably best to hurry up with that application. The State Department says that processing will continue as long as there are sufficient fees to support operations, Kylie Atwood reports. But if a passport agency in a government building has been closed because of a shutdown, that facility may also be closed.

How will the military be affected by a shutdown?

The 1.3 million uniformed military personnel would still be on duty. National security operations would continue. The military would continue to operate normally, at least in the near term, in the event of a partial government shutdown. All military members would be required to report for work as usual. Paychecks would be delayed only if the shutdown lasted beyond Feb. 1, because pay is issued only twice a month, on the first and the 15th.

Military retirees will still receive their benefit checks, VA disability pay and GI Bill payments during a shutdown. However, the families of service members killed in action during the shutdown will not receive their $100,000 death gratuity while the shutdown is in effect, and would not be flown on government plains to a military funeral or dignified transfer of remains, according to Military.com.

Data collected by government agencies to measure U.S. economic activity would stop -- statistics on unemployment and job growth, on the housing market and on inflation, for example, would not be released on their regular schedules. Reports on new home sales and on GDP were to be released next week.

What about the Justice Department?

It's complicated, but a significant percentage of DOJ employees continue working in the event of a shutdown.

According to its contingency plan, the Justice Department, with nearly 115,000 employees, has a "high percentage" of employees who would be able to keep working because they have national security, law enforcement and criminal justice system responsibilities relating to safety or protection of property. Those employees are excepted from the shutdown. Other DOJ employees may be excepted because their work has been funded for multi-year appropriations.

What does the shutdown have to do with the flu?

The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) says that under a shutdown, its capacity to track and respond to disease outbreaks would be affected. For instance, flu surveillance data being reported by states and hospitals would still be collected. But limited staff resources would mean reviewing, analyzing and reporting out the information necessary for public health action would take longer.
• None Missouri struggles to deal with over 40,000 flu cases amid epidemic 



Will the NTSB (National Transportation Safety Board) keep working?

About 95 percent of the agency's personnel would receive furlough notices in a government shutdown. A small number of employees would be allowed to continue for emergency essential activity and very specific investigative work. Under a shutdown, the NTSB would be able to launch investigations into major accidents involving significant casualties and other accidents if failing to go forward with an investigation would create a significant risk to transportation safety.

The NTSB would also be able to continue any ongoing investigation activities and produce reports that are considered absolutely necessary to prevent the imminent potential for loss of life and significant property damage if the NTSB doesn't act.

But other ongoing investigations would be halted, which would delay the NTSB in finishing reports and issuing recommendations that are considered not to be urgent.

A prolonged shutdown could have an adverse impact on NTSB investigations, which was the case during the 2013 shutdown.

But FAA and TSA will still be on the job?



Air traffic controllers and most aviation inspectors would keep working. The more than 43,000 front-line TSA officers at airport screening checkpoints would continue working, so from an operational standpoint the airports won't be impacted, but those employees would be working without pay until the government is funded. At that point, they'd get backpay. but a lengthy shutdown would cause hardship for some employees.

Agency staff was told to submit its list of essential employees to the chief of staff by the end of Thursday so determinations can be made Friday who gets furloughed and who doesn't.

Will mail still be delivered?

Yes, because the Post Office is self-funded, post office workers will keep delivering mail throughout the shutdown.

What about museum visits? Go soon

The Smithsonian museums and its National Zoo will remain open for the weekend, but they would be closed beginning Monday, Jan. 22, the Smithsonian Institution says. The Smithsonian also has two museums in New York City that would be closed – the Cooper Hewitt Design Museum and Heye Center, a branch of the National Museum of the American Indian.

The popular National Zoo live-animal cameras, including the panda cam, would also cease broadcasting. But all the animals will continue to be fed and cared for at the National Zoo. This is the same procedure followed during the 2013 government shutdown.

What about national parks -- will they be open?

Unlike past shutdowns, the Interior Department plans to keep national parks and other public lands "as accessible as possible while still following all applicable laws and procedures," according to a spokesperson. In Washington, D.C., war memorials and open air parks will remain open. Many national parks, refuges and other public lands "will still try to allow limited access wherever possible," according to the Interior Department. However, park services requiring staffing, like maintaining campgrounds, full-service restrooms and concessions, will not be operational.

Will federal workers still be paid?



Whether they work through a partial shutdown or not, federal workers can't get paid during a lapse in funding. In the past, however, they have been repaid retroactively, even if they were ordered to stay home.

Can federal workers volunteer to keep working?

Nope, not according to the Office of Personnel Management, which says that unless workers are authorized by law, they can't volunteer their services during a shutdown.

CBS News' Kris Van Kleave, Rebecca Shabad, Steven Portnoy, Paula Reid, Emily Tillett, Kylie Atwood, John Nolen, and Nancy Cordes contributed to this report.</s>US Government shuts down for second time in 2018 as Congress misses deadline

The US Senate has approved a budget deal hours after the Government went into shutdown for the second time this year.

The Senate's passing of the budget and a stopgap funding package means the plan will now go to the House of Representatives, where politicians are divided along party lines and passage was uncertain.

The scrambling to secure a deal comes hours after the federal shutdown began, in an embarrassing setback for the Republican-controlled Congress.

A three-day shutdown of the federal government began last month on the anniversary of the inauguration of Republican President Donald Trump, who played little role in attempts by party leaders earlier this week to head it off and end months of fiscal squabbling.

House Republican leaders had offered assurances that the package would be approved, but so did Senate leaders and the critical midnight deadline, when current government funding authority expired, was still missed.

The reason for that was a nine-hour, on-again, off-again Senate floor speech by Kentucky Republican senator Rand Paul, who objected to deficit spending in the bill.

The unexpected turn of events dragged the Senate proceedings into the wee hours and underscored the persistent inability of Congress and Mr Trump to deal efficiently with Washington's most basic fiscal obligations of keeping the Government open.

The US Office of Personnel Management advised millions of federal employees shortly after midnight to check with their agencies about whether they should report to work on Friday.

If the House acts before daybreak to approve the package from the Senate, there would be no practical interruption in federal government business.

If it does not, the result would be an actual shutdown.

Mr Paul said during his marathon speech, which strained fellow senators' patience, that the two-year budget deal would "loot the Treasury".

The proposed bill would raise military and domestic spending by almost $US300 billion over the next two years.

With no offsets in the form of other spending cuts or new tax revenues, that additional spending would be financed by borrowed money.

The bill is also opposed by House Democratic leader Nancy Pelosi because Republican House leaders will not guarantee her that they will allow a debate later on about taking steps to protect about 700,000 "Dreamer" immigrants from deportation.

The budget bill would not only stave off a shutdown, but would extend the Government's debt ceiling until March 2019.

That step alone would help reduce uncertainty in the US financial markets.</s>In the wee hours of the morning, the House of Representatives voted to approve a major budget package following a brief, overnight government shutdown.

The $400 billion spending bill was sent to President Trump who signed it Friday morning, ending the brief shutdown.

The budget agreement will set spending for programs for the next two years — if they stick to it. Under the short-term agreement approved early Friday, the government is funded for another six weeks to give lawmakers time to craft a budget plan. If they don't have something long-term in place by then, the country could be in shutdown mode again in March.

The passage of the plan followed a dramatic night on Capitol Hill, where Democrats fought for some sort of promise for protections for Dreamers, the roughly 800,000 immigrants who were illegally brought into the U.S. as minors. Republicans had a problem with the amount of spending.

And while the Senate needed to move fast Thursday night to pass the package, Sen. Rand Paul, R-Ky., effectively delayed the vote until after midnight, causing the government to briefly shut down – for the second time already this year.

Disagreements over the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA), led to a three-day government shutdown on Jan 20.

Fox News asked Marc Goldwein, senior policy director of the Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget – a bipartisan, nonprofit organization that educates the public on fiscal policy issues – to explain a government shutdown, and he answered seven basic questions about the process that Americans should know.

A shutdown occurs when Congress and the president fail to sign into law 12 appropriations bills (which determine spending for specific government agencies) in order to continue providing funding for government operations.

How can you prevent a government shutdown?

To avoid a shutdown, members of Congress can give themselves an extension, known as a continuing resolution (CR). The temporary funding measure keeps the federal government open and allows lawmakers more time to negotiate the remaining appropriations bills.

“The bar for a CR is pretty low. You’re not agreeing to anything new politically; it’s a no-brainer,” Goldwein told Fox News.

That’s exactly how the government has been operating since Oct. 1.

Funding has been extended three times since then. The House and Senate approved a temporary spending bill on Jan 22, and Trump signed the measure to keep the government funded through Feb. 8.

How long does a government shutdown last?

As long as it takes. Congressional leaders from both parties have to reach an agreement to fund the government.

It usually takes a weekend for this to happen.

“We’re talking days or weeks – not months,” Goldwein said.

The federal government would be forced to shut down “nonessential services." Who would be affected?

"Essential staff at top level agencies would continue working, but most federal employees whose jobs aren’t vital would likely be sent home," Goldwein said.

For example, those who work at national parks, monuments and museums would be told to go home.

"It doesn’t feel awesome to be told you’re not an essential employee. It's a little demoralizing to go home because you’re not important," Goldwein added.

In the 2013 shutdown, roughly 850,000 employees were furloughed per day, according to the Office of Management and Budget.

But not everyone is required to take unpaid leave.

The president, presidential appointees and members of Congress are exempt. The Postal Service, the TSA and Air Traffic Control will also continue business as usual.

Americans will still be able to get their Social Security and Medicare benefits and food stamps. However, people expecting VA benefits, unemployment benefits, farm subsidies and tax refunds may experience delays.

Do federal employees still get paid?

Most likely. The problem: They're not sure when they'll get their money.

"Everyone loses from the government shutdown. An employee loses their paycheck at the time he or she needs it," Goldwein said. "Ultimately, we’re going to fund it anyway. It’s kind of silly."

Federal employees typically receive back pay shortly upon their return, though, Goldwein says, nothing is certain. Every agency has their own contingency plan in the event of a shutdown.

How many times has the government shut down?

The government has shut down 20 times since 1976, the year Congress introduced the Congressional Budget and Impoundment Control Act, according to the Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget’s research. Half of the shutdowns occurred over a weekend.

“Before 1980, the government didn’t really shut down,” Goldwein explained. “A lot of others were over the course of weekends. I call them ‘fake shutdowns.’”

Goldwein says there have really only been three significant government shutdowns in the history of the U.S.

Two occurred during the Clinton administration in the winter of 1995 to 1996. Former President Bill Clinton and the Republican Congress were at odds and shut the government down for a total of 26 days, Goldwein said.

The third occurred during the Obama administration in 2013, when a stalemate between the House and Senate led to a 16-day hiatus.

How much money can the country lose during a shutdown?

The 16-day government shutdown in 2013 cost the country $24 billion of lost economic activity, according to an analysis from ratings agency Standard & Poor's.

"The payroll cost of furloughed employee salaries alone – that is, the lost productivity of furloughed workers – was $2.0 billion," the Office of Management and Budget reported in 2013.

Goldwein says shutdowns "waste money" more than they "cost money."

"We’re not going to spend more money. We’re just going to spend it on worse stuff," he explained. "Instead of paying employees to work, we’re paying them not to work."

The Associated Press contributed to this report.</s>The official said OMB had contacted government agencies seven days ago, telling them to be prepared for the possibility of government shutdown, and on Thursday OMB emailed the agencies, advising them to get their plans together and to update staff on who will be affected and what the plan would be.

The official said it is up to individual agencies how they would handle a shutdown, but even those affected by a potential lapse in appropriations would be able to come into work for up to four hours to conduct an orderly shutdown.

The official added that all of the agencies' shutdown plans are listed on OMB's website, and that just as during January's brief government stoppage, many workers in safety and security are considered exempt from a shutdown.

A senior administration official said the White House instructed agencies Thursday evening to begin shutdown preparations in the event Congress fails to pass a funding agreement before the midnight deadline. The full impact of any shutdown would depend on its length. The current run of funding is due to end at midnight, and if Paul's block passes that point or appropriations otherwise lapse, the government would be in a state of shutdown. But if an agreement is reached shortly after the deadline, most operations would not be affected. If a shutdown continues into the morning -- as most agencies begin their workdays and government operations not authorized to continue during a shutdown would normally begin -- workers across the government would begin to go on furlough until appropriations resume, although the OMB official noted that those affected would be able to work for four hours to smooth the process. Asked about the possibility of a shutdown on Wednesday, Defense Secretary James Mattis said it would be "very damaging." He noted that during a shutdown the Department of Defense sends home "all non-uniformed personnel except those in a few critical areas" and that while military operations would continue, training would be delayed. "It just paralyzes everything that we do if we go into that," Mattis said. "The impact just ripples through the force," he said. As contingency plans collected on the OMB's website show , agencies across the government have plans in place for shutdowns, many of which were updated ahead of the shutdown last month and some as recently as Thursday. In addition to security operations, many other services are deemed essential -- the mail still goes out, Social Security benefits come in -- and continue without funding, though thousands of other federal workers across the country would go on furlough and offices close.</s>President Trump ended 2018s second government shutdown by signing a budget plan into law on Feb. 9, 2018.</s>US Shutdown: The partial shutdown is likely to end today pending vote</s>US federal agencies had to cease their operations after the Congress failed to pass a bipartisan budget deal. This is the second time within three weeks that US government agencies had to put their work on a halt as a result of the disagreement over the budget deal. On January 18, the funding proposal to avert a government shutdown failed in the Senate.

Twitter users have rushed to the social media platform in order to comment on the second US government shutdown, with many commenting on the move by Republican Senator Rand Paul, who demanded a vote on an amendment to the spending bill that would keep caps on federal spending, which is expected to rise by a total of $300 billion over two years.

READ MORE: 'Risky Territory Here': US Gov't Shuts Down Again as Congress Misses Deadline

Many Netizens have criticized the Republicans and the US president over the second shutdown since Donald Trump had assumed office.

Some have pointed to the different media coverage by US media outlets.

Other Twitter users, however, seemed to find the fun side in the development.</s>Congress scrambles to avoid what would be a second government shutdown in three weeks.
The United States government runs out of funding for the second time this year, prompting another government shutdown.