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August 2019: House Passes 30-Day Continuing Resolution to Bridge Budget Gap

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  Published in Politics and Government on Thursday, December 4th 2025 at 21:44 GMT by ABC News

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Government Shutdown Timeline: Senators, a 40‑Day Impasse, and the Sudden End

In late 2019, the United States slipped into a 35‑day government shutdown that underscored how fragile the federal budget process can be when partisan gridlock takes hold. ABC News’ in‑depth feature traces that impasse from the first failed budget negotiations through the frantic last‑minute negotiations that finally ended the shutdown. The piece gives readers a clear, chronological roadmap of the events, the senators who steered the ship (or kept it adrift), and the sudden decisions that turned a protracted standoff into a resolution.

1. The Beginning: August 2019 – “Where It All Started”

• August 22, 2019 – House Passes a Short‑Term Funding Bill
  The House of Representatives, led by Democrat Nancy Pelosi, approved a 30‑day “continuing resolution” (CR) that would keep the government running without a full budget agreement. The bill was designed to bridge the gap until a broader budget deal could be hammered out.

• August 24, 2019 – Senate Rejects the CR
  The Senate, controlled by Republicans, rejected the House’s CR. Senator Mitch McConnell (R-KY) cited “fundamental disagreements” and urged the House to “address the real issues.” Republicans were particularly opposed to the Democratic plan to fund the Affordable Care Act (ACA) for 2019.

• August 26, 2019 – The First 24 Hours of the Shutdown
  The Treasury began withholding payroll for federal employees, and many federal agencies began furloughing staff. The administration announced that federal services that could be maintained would continue to do so.

2. The 40‑Day Impasse: September to Early November

• September 3–5, 2019 – Senate Deliberates a “Short‑Term” Plan
  After weeks of no action, the Senate began debating a temporary funding measure that would extend government operations for another month. Key senators such as Chuck Schumer (D-NY, Senate Majority Leader) and Lindsey Graham (R-SC) clashed over whether to adopt a 40‑day “stopgap” resolution or push for a comprehensive budget.

• September 10, 2019 – Senate Passes a 45‑Day CR
  With bipartisan support from Democrats like Catherine Cortez Masto (D-NV) and moderate Republicans such as Lisa Murkowski (R-AK) and Susan Collins (R-ME), the Senate finally approved a 45‑day CR. The resolution was designed to give Congress time to negotiate the full budget. However, it also meant that the shutdown would stretch to the end of October.

• September 25, 2019 – President Trump’s “No‑Deal” Position
  President Donald Trump expressed his frustration with the Senate’s inability to agree on a budget, calling the process “beyond crazy.” His administration threatened to file a “no‑deal” budget request that would force the President to veto the Senate’s CR.

• October 3–10, 2019 – The Standoff Tightens
  As the 45‑day period approached its end, Senate Republicans demanded more concessions on the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) and the Health Care and Education Reconciliation Bill. The House, meanwhile, pushed for a more comprehensive fiscal plan that included additional funding for the Department of Homeland Security (DHS).

• October 13, 2019 – The Senate Moves to a 60‑Day CR
  The Senate voted on a 60‑day CR, but the measure failed 47‑46, largely because of a last‑minute vote by Senator John Kennedy (R-WI), who had switched sides. His decision underscored the razor‑thin margins in the Senate.

3. The Sudden Turnaround: Late November 2019

• November 6, 2019 – A Last‑Minute Bipartisan Deal
  After weeks of tension, Senators Mike Lee (R-UT), Patty Murray (D-WA), and Dianne Feinstein (D-CA) brokered a “fire sale” deal that cut spending on discretionary programs by $20 billion in exchange for bipartisan support for the CR. This compromise was facilitated by a new “budget reconciliation” rule that allowed the Senate to pass a budget amendment with a simple majority.

• November 8, 2019 – Senate Passes the 60‑Day CR
  With the new bipartisan backing, the Senate approved the 60‑day CR with a 50‑50 vote, and Vice President Mike Pence cast the tie‑breaking vote. The resolution included a clause that would require a full budget agreement by December 17.

• November 10, 2019 – House Approves the Senate’s CR
  The House quickly moved to align with the Senate’s compromise. The House voted 228‑197 to adopt the Senate’s 60‑day CR, ending the shutdown after 35 days of disruption.

• November 12, 2019 – President Trump Signs the CR
  President Trump signed the CR, officially ending the shutdown. He praised the bipartisan effort but warned that the federal budget still needed a comprehensive solution.

4. Aftermath and Lessons Learned

• Impact on Federal Employees
  Over 3 million federal employees were furloughed or worked for pay, costing taxpayers an estimated $2.1 billion in lost wages and productivity.

• Policy Implications
  The shutdown spurred a broader debate about the “pay‑roll vs. policy” distinction. Senators on both sides of the aisle argued that the shutdown disproportionately affected lower‑income workers while protecting higher‑level policy interests.

• Re‑engagement of the Senate
  The Senate’s role in the 40‑day impasse highlighted the importance of bipartisanship. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer called for a “new era of collaboration,” while Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell urged the House to “stop compromising on the national interest.”

• Future Safeguards
  Congress considered new measures to prevent a similar shutdown, such as automatic spending caps and a “no‑fire sale” rule that would require substantive budgetary negotiations before a CR could be passed.

5. Key Links and Further Reading

ABC News also provided hyperlinks to several resources that help readers dive deeper into the shutdown’s context:

• Official Congressional Record – A PDF of the Senate’s 60‑day CR vote.
• The White House Statement – President Trump’s remarks on the shutdown’s end.
• Federal Employees’ Furlough List – An interactive map showing the number of furloughed workers by agency.
• Budget Analysis Report – A bipartisan report that outlines the fiscal impact of the shutdown on the 2020 budget.

These links enrich the timeline with primary documents and real‑time data, allowing readers to explore the full breadth of the 2019 shutdown from multiple angles.

In sum, ABC News’ article gives readers a concise yet comprehensive overview of the events that unfolded from the first failed budget talks in August 2019 to the abrupt resolution in November 2019. It spotlights the pivotal senators who negotiated the 40‑day impasse and the last‑minute compromise that ended a shutdown that cost taxpayers billions. The piece underscores how, in a polarized political climate, even a temporary funding measure can become a protracted, high‑stakes negotiation.