Second Stimulus: Could Relief Debate End up Sparking Another Government Shutdown?

The breakdown of stimulus talks and the reality that no agreement could come from lawmakers and The White House has many questioning what is next. Donald Trump tweeted complaints and blame at Democrats on Friday, blaming for stalling payments of up to $3,400 per family. While he can't legally send payments out without Congressional approval, the continued delays are inching the nation closer to be a more massive catastrophe.

According to CNBC, any potential action won't happen until September and that brings Congress dangerously close to the next budget fight between Republicans and Democrats. Those talks would begin in October and similar delays would lead to a government shutdown in the middle of a pandemic.

"I cannot imagine any way in which Republicans or Democrats want to have a government shutdown a month out from the election," Senior VP Bill Hoagland from the Bipartisan Policy Center said, according to CNBC. "I think there's going to be some people that are going to be hurting between now and September. Come Labor Day, there's going to be a lot of angry people."

If Congress can pass a deal when they return to Washington, D.C., in September, payments would likely begin to arrive in October. That would place payments close to the election and may politically play into Trump's hands.

"Politically, some of the people in the White House might think it's a good thing to get a check signed by Donald Trump right before the election," Hoagland added. None of this addresses the effect and legality of Trump's executive orders, including the proposed payments mentioned in the text of the executive actions.

People were left furious on Friday after the Senate walked away from Congress and any negotiations until after Labor Day. It comes a week after Trump announced and signed his executive orders, adding to dozens of questions already lingering around the debate.

As it stands, Democratic lawmakers want a $3 trillion bill to pass, while GOP leaders want nothing higher than $1 trillion. The gulf is vast, but the clock is certainly ticking. The need for something to pass immediately is exceptionally high. Adding another shutdown into an already packed election season while still dealing with a pandemic could be an event the nation can't just bounce back from without sacrifices.