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Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin has declined an invite from House Ways and Means Committee Chair Richard Neal, D-Mass., to participate in a hearing next week to discuss the impact of the partial government shutdown. The shutdown is approaching a month and is the longest funding gap in U.S. history.

In a release, the House Ways and Means Committee cited a recent announcement from the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) that tax filing season will begin on Jan. 28 and more than 45,000 furloughed employees will be asked to return to work without pay to process filings, if the shutdown is still happening.

After Mnuchin initially declined, Neal last night urged him to reconsider testifying at the hearing on the issue, which is scheduled for 10:30 a.m. Eastern Thursday.

NAFCU remains engaged on Capitol Hill as lawmakers continue funding discussions. Earlier this week, the Democratic-controlled House passed a short-term funding bill to reopen the affected departments through Feb. 1. The House is also considering another continuing resolution that would fund the departments through Feb. 28

Democratic leaders say this strategy is to allow the government to reopen in the short term while negotiations on issues such as border security and immigration can continue. However, the Republican-controlled Senate has said it will not take up any legislation that does not have the support of the president. President Donald Trump continues to press for full funding to construct a wall along the U.S.-Mexico border.

The president did sign legislation that would give federal workers back pay once the shutdown ends.

NAFCU will work to ensure credit union priorities – such as full funding for the NCUA's Community Development Revolving Loan Fund (CDRLF), Treasury's Community Development Financial Institutions (CDFI) Fund and the Small Business Administration's (SBA) 7(a) and 504 loan programs – are included in any funding solution.