The current deadline for a funding bill to be passed is 8 December 2017
That's only 3 days away. In the midst of Brexit talks and tax reforms, the market is being complacent about the possibility that the US government shuts down as allocated funds run out.
This is a can that's been kicked down the road from September and if Congress does not manage to get a funding bill agreed and signed off by Donald Trump by this Friday, then the reality is that a shutdown is more or less going to happen - eventually.
The worst part of it is that with all the talks on tax reforms going on, it's pretty much distracting Congress from actually focusing on this issue.
The other stumbling block is that Trump needs bipartisan support in passing the funding bill (since Republicans only hold 52 seats), which means 60 votes are needed - and judging by how difficult things are with the tax bill, this could be a more difficult obstacle to overcome for the time being.
There's going to be a meeting on Thursday to discuss the matter between Trump and House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi, as well as Senate Minority Leader Charles Schumer. Reports are suggesting it's going to be another extension of the deadline once again.
So, how long can Trump kick this can down the road for?
The last time the US government encountered a shutdown was in 2013, and that lasted for 16 days.
Shutdown, you say? Why, that's just a tiny, tiny problem in my books.
