Three months after narrowly avoiding a government shutdown, the United States faces another looming fiscal crisis, as former President Donald Trump urges Congress to pass a spending bill before Friday night to prevent a federal funding lapse.
“We’ll see, but it could happen,” Trump said aboard Air Force One on Sunday, referring to the risk of a shutdown if funding runs out between Friday and Saturday.
If Congress fails to act, the federal government would enter a shutdown, leaving hundreds of thousands of federal employees furloughed without pay, disrupting air travel, and affecting food assistance programs for low-income families.
Congress had previously averted a shutdown at the last minute in December, extending funding until March 14. Given the widespread unpopularity of government shutdowns, Trump is pushing to prevent another one.
