A week ago, after a record-breaking shutdown of 35 days, President Donald Trump has promised to reopen the government for three weeks while the budget is revised. The budget that was passed did not allocate the 5.7 billion dollars for the border wall that Trump requested, however, it will continue to fund federal agencies.

Last Friday, the house and senate unanimously passed a bill to temporarily reopen federal agencies. Trump signed this into law.

Trump later stated, “If we don’t get a fair deal from Congress the government will either shut down on February 15 again, or I will use the powers afforded to me under the laws and the constitution of the United States to address this emergency.”, implying he would declare a national state of emergency. A state of emergency is defined as a situation of national danger or disaster in which a government suspends normal constitutional procedures in order to regain control. This is typically used during wartime so that the president is able to bypass lengthy congressional procedures to address emergencies. However, to declare a state of emergency is entirely up to the president’s discretion.

For many, the end of the 35-day shutdown is a relief- as lots of government workers were forced to work without pay, or unable to work, but this could be just the beginning. President Trump will either learn to compromise with the democratic-run house or resort to a drastic solution. Come February 15, the government may shut down again.

LHS senior Alyssa Belko is worried about how another shutdown could affect government workers. “The shutdown affected essential employees too, like TSA agents. I don’t know how we, as a country, could get by without government workers.”