Federal Government Funded Through December 11

Politico: “GOP Leaders Are Now Openly Predicting That Congress Will Blow Past” Government Funding Deadline. On December 7, Politico reported that budget negotiations in Congress were progressing “at a glacial pace,” raising the prospect of a temporary government shutdown after federal spending authority expires on December 11. Republican congressional leaders predicted that “Congress will blow past” the deadline, but suggested there is hope for a short-term spending resolution that funds the government and “keep[s] federal agencies open beyond Friday”:

With negotiations over a massive $1.1 trillion budget package moving at a glacial pace, GOP leaders are now openly predicting that Congress will blow past a Dec. 11 deadline for funding the federal government.

Both sides appear to be notching wins in the high-stakes talks. Republicans are confident they'll be able to lift a ban on exporting crude oil, though the GOP is wary of acceding to Democratic demands on environmental policy in return for allowing such sales. Democrats are relieved Republicans aren't fighting to strip funds from Planned Parenthood.

[...]

Yet there are still big disputes between the two parties over environmental policy provisions, including global warming and clean water programs. The disagreements have Democrats vowing to oppose the omnibus package in its current form. Furthermore, Republicans are planning to go it alone on a massive, two-year package of popular tax breaks, known as extenders, after talks all but broke down with Democrats.

[...]

The current government funding bill expires on Friday, but Speaker Paul Ryan (R-Wis.) and House Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) said an agreement is unlikely by then.

“When it comes to the [omnibus], I'm seriously looking at having us in on Friday or over the weekend to get our work done,” McCarthy said during a press conference on Monday. The California Republican said he did not anticipate any problem passing a stopgap spending bill to keep federal agencies open beyond Friday. [Politico, 12/7/15]

The 2013 Shutdown Slowed The Economy

Council Of Economic Advisors: 2013 Shutdown Trimmed Economic Growth, Cost 120,000 Jobs. On October 22, 2013, Bloomberg reported that economist Jason Furman, chairman of the White House Council of Economic Advisers, found the 16-day shutdown cost the American economy 0.25 percentage points in GDP growth for the fourth quarter of 2013, and 120,000 jobs:

The partial government shutdown this month trimmed 0.25 percentage point from fourth-quarter economic growth and cost the U.S. 120,000 jobs in October, President Barack Obama's chief economic adviser said.

An analysis of daily and weekly economic data through Oct. 12 showed weakness in such areas as retail sales, economic confidence and mortgage applications, some of which was directly related to the 16-day shutdown, said Jason Furman, head of the Council of Economic Advisers.

“This all just really underscores how unnecessary and harmful the shutdown and the brinkmanship was for the economy, why it's important to avoid repeating it,” Furman said at a White House briefing today. [Bloomberg, 10/22/13]

Standard & Poor's: Shutdown Cost U.S. Economy $24 Billion. CNN.com reported on October 17, 2013 that Standard & Poor's estimated the shutdown cost the American economy $24 billion, and the financial agency had to downgrade economic growth estimates for the fourth quarter by 0.6 percentage points:

The 16-day government shutdown took a $24 billion chunk out of the U.S. economy, according to an initial analysis from Standard & Poor's.

As a result, the rating agency projects that the U.S. economy will grow 2.4% in the fourth quarter -- as opposed to the roughly 3% growth rate predicted prior to the shutdown.

“Because it's happening all at once, so quick, so fast, unplanned; it's going to hurt,” said Beth Ann Bovino, U.S. chief economist at S&P. “We can absorb it, but it still hurts.” [CNN.com, 10/17/13]

Media Coverage Of Last Shutdown Fell Flat

Media Focused On False Equivalences In 2013. Media outlets in 2013 pushed a narrative that falsely presented the shutdown as the result of intransigence by both parties. CNN, The Wall Journal, and Fox News downplayed the fact that congressional Republicans shut down the government in a failed attempt to repeal the Affordable Care Act, also know as Obamacare. A majority of Americans disapproved of the partisan shutdown effort, and congressional experts blamed the GOP for the legislative gridlock. [Media Matters, 9/30/13; 10/9/13]

Nightly News Shrugged Off Shutdown's Effect On Poor Americans. In the first week of the 2013 shutdown, broadcast nightly news and cable evening news programs dedicated 276 total segments to the ongoing government shutdown, but only 19 -- or roughly 6.9 percent -- mentioned the effects of the shutdown on programs used primarily by low-income Americans including job training programs, child care subsidies, welfare, and nutrition assistance:

[Media Matters, 10/8/13]

The Wall Street Journal Actually Suggested The Shutdown “Is Helping The Economy.” Ten days into the 2013 shutdown, a Wall Street Journal editorial suggested that “Maybe the shutdown is helping the economy” by preventing federal regulatory agencies from “imposing [burdens] on the rest of us.” In fact, economists had estimated that the shutdown already reduced economic output by $1 billion to $1.6 billion and warned that a prolonged shutdown would impose even greater costs to the economy. [Media Matters, 10/10/13]

Following Shutdown Print Media Ignored Lost Economic Growth, Pivoted To Debt Reduction. In the week following the end of the 16-day government shutdown in 2013, major print media -- The Wall Street Journal, The Washington Post, and The New York Times -- were more than three times as likely to mention the supposed need for further deficit and debt reduction as priorities over restoring economic growth and job creation, both of which were stymied by the shutdown itself:

[Media Matters, 10/24/13]