Congress has less than a month to pass a new budget, or the US government could face another shutdown. This would put millions of Americans at risk of going without pay, just a few months after the longest shutdown in US history. The new deadline is January 30, and both chambers of Congress must pass a budget bill to keep the government funded.
The current situation is a result of a compromise reached by a bipartisan group of legislators in November. This package of three spending bills essentially kicked the can down the road, delaying the issue until now. The compromise was signed into law on November 12, but the deadline for a new budget has now been reached.
With the bitter political fighting in Washington, another government shutdown is possible. However, leadership on both sides of the aisle has expressed a desire to avoid a repeat of October. Senators Dick Durbin and Thom Tillis have both stated that they do not want to see another shutdown, with Durbin saying he has had enough of them.