What to Expect as the US Government Shutdown Enters Week Two

Many US federal employees have been furloughed, and others continue to work without pay, since lawmakers failed to pass a stopgap measure to fund the government last week, and the shutdown is expected to continue.  

As of Monday morning, there had been no reported deal between Republican and Democratic members of the US Congress to stop the shutdown and return operations to normal, including activities at financial regulatory agencies such as the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) and Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC).

The Senate is scheduled to hold a vote on a continuing resolution to fund the government at 5:30 pm ET, but at the time of publication, it was unclear whether the measure would have enough support to pass.

The crux of Democrats’ position in the budget standoff is healthcare, with lawmakers demanding that any spending bill include a reversal of cuts from a July budget measure.