WASHINGTON – Congress faces the prospect of apartial government shutdown Oct. 1unless lawmakers can overcome partisan differences that sparked nationwide protests before the fast-approaching deadline. The debate comes after a federal appeals court overturnedPresident Donald Trump's tariffs, which could blow a $4 trillion hole in his budget over the next decade. AndTrump has antagonized some fellow Republicansin the narrowly divided Congress by refusing to spend billions of dollars that lawmakers have already approved. Here's what to know about the looming potential shutdown. Senate Republicans are pushing for a short-term funding patch to allow time for a yearlong agreement. But Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-New York, urged his colleagues Sept. 2 to prevent Republicans from helping what he called Trump's move toward authoritarianism. "Senate Republicans must decide: stand up for the legislative branch or enable Trump's slide toward authoritarianism," Schumer wrote. "This month will give us the opportunity to show a sharp contrast between our agenda and the chaos and extremism of the other side." Schumer said House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-New York, agreed. Mike Marinella, a spokesperson for the National Republican Congressional Committee, the campaign arm for the House GOP, said Jeffries and his "radical party" would "rather play politics than govern." "While Republicans are focused on keeping the government open and working for the American people, Democrats are threatening chaos to protect their extremist agenda,"Marinella said in a statement. A key Senate Republican has already challengedTrump's move to cut nearly $5 billionthat Congress approved for foreign aid, setting up a clash among members of the president's own party. Trumpnotified House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-Louisiana, in a one-page letter Aug. 28 that he planned to rescind 15 expenditures totaling $4.9 billion from the State Department and U.S. Agency for International Development. "Last night,President TrumpCANCELLED $4.9 billion in America Last foreign aid using a pocket rescission," the Office of Management and Budget said ina social media post. "(President Trump) will always put AMERICA FIRST!" But the head of the Appropriations Committee, Sen. Susan Collins, R-Maine, opposed the move. "Any effort to rescind appropriated funds without congressional approval is a clear violation of the law," Collins said on Aug. 29. Congress could block Trump's move, butit's unclear whether that will happen. The fight over government spending rekindled aftera federal appeals court overturnedTrump's significant new funding by collecting tariffs on imports from other countries. The crux of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit's7-4 decision on Aug. 29was that Trump had overstepped his authority by imposing tariffs based on the 1977 International Emergency Economic Powers Act. The decision could knock a $4 trillion hole in Trump's budget over the next decade.The Congressional Budget Office projectedthe tariffs would raise $3.3 trillion and reduce debt by $700 billion during that period. The appeals court left the tariffs in place until Oct. 14 to give the administration a chance to appeal. Attorney GeneralPam Bondisaid she would appeal to the Supreme Court. But a decision from the high court might not arrive before the spending clash comes to a head in Congress. Trump acknowledged the financial dilemma a loss of tariffs would create. "Today a Highly Partisan Appeals Court incorrectly said that our Tariffs should be removed, but they know the United States of America will win in the end,"Trump said on social media. "If these Tariffs ever went away, it would be a total disaster for the Country. It would make us financially weak, and we have to be strong." Negotiations over federal spending come after aLabor Day weekend of protestsorganized by unions and community activists against the Trump administration. The ralliesaimed to demonstrate the power of the working classin cities including Boston, Chicago, Detroit and New York. Hundreds of protesters gathered in New York across Fifth Avenue from Trump Tower. The protesters handed out tacos, after some critics adopted the acronym TACO for "Trump always chickens out." The protesters also chanted slogans such as "New York is a working town." Taylor Rogers, a White House spokesperson, told USA TODAY: "No one has done more for working men and women than President Trump." This article originally appeared on USA TODAY:Congress faces potential government shutdown Oct. 1. What to know.
