The Senate reconvenes Friday with another vote that could reopen the government, on its third day of shutdown. If it fails, expect the shutdown to last into next week.
“They’ll have a fourth chance tomorrow to open up the government,” Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-S.D.) said Thursday. “If that fails, we’ll give them the weekend to think about it. We’ll come back, vote again Monday.”
Expect leadership from both sides to hold press conferences on the matter, and the Senate will vote in midafternoon on both the Republican and Democratic continuing resolutions to fund the government.
One casualty of the shutdown is the September jobs report, which the Bureau of Labor Statistics has said will be delayed because its personnel are furloughed.
President Trump, meanwhile, met Thursday with his budget director to discuss firing federal workers during the shutdown, an action that pushes the administration into uncharted legal territory.
A longer shutdown could start weighing down the economy. Democrats are banking on Republicans feeling pressure to avoid that, leading them to cut a deal.
White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt will brief reporters at 1 p.m., but Trump has no public events on his schedule.
Follow along here all day for updates.
