A government shutdown is all but certain as Congress adjourns without a spending deal
KEY POINTS
A partial government shutdown is all but guaranteed as lawmakers anticipate no spending deal before a midnight Friday deadline to pass funding.
A dispute over President Donald Trump’s demand for $5 billion in border wall funding derailed last-second efforts to avoid the closure.
Democrats are trying to strike a spending deal with the White House.
A temporary government shutdown was all but guaranteed Friday night as Congress struggled to break a stalemate over money for President Donald Trump’s proposed border wall.
Parts of the government will close if Congress cannot pass seven spending bills by midnight Friday. Lawmakers scrambled through the afternoon and into the early evening to break an impasse over whether to fund the barrier on the U.S.-Mexico border.
But the House adjourned at about 7 p.m. ET Friday without passing legislation that the Senate supports, and the chamber is not due back until noon Saturday. Then the Senate adjourned at about 8 p.m. ET without approving a spending bill that the House backs. Senators are expected back at noon Saturday, as well.
The deadlock leaves Washington almost certain to let funding lapse for the third time this year. A closure could last through Christmas and into the new year, past when Democrats take control of the House on Jan. 3. It would send the unified Republican government out in a swirl of chaos that marked Trump’s first two years in the White House.
Still, lawmakers could move quickly to pass spending legislation this weekend if leaders reach an agreement. House Republicans told members they would get 24 hours of notice before a vote.
Shortly before 6 p.m. ET Friday, the GOP-controlled Senate voted 48-47 to advance a House-passed bill to keep the government running through Feb. 8 and put more than $5 billion toward the president’s wall. Vice President Mike Pence had to break a tie after a vote that lasted five hours and 18 minutes, the longest in Senate history, according to NBC News.
Republicans decided to move the bill forward even though it would have failed in a final vote. Democrats have unequivocally said they will not approve money for the border barrier. Instead, lawmakers aim to use the House-passed bill to “preserve maximum flexibility” as Democrats try to strike a deal with the White House on a spending bill that can pass both the Senate and House, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell said.
“When an agreement is reached, it will receive a vote here on the Senate floor,” he said. Both Sens. Bob Corker, R-Tenn., and Jeff Flake, R-Ariz., agreed to advance the measure with the assurance that lawmakers would next vote once they had a plan that could get through both chambers of Congress.
It left negotiators limited time to strike a deal before the shutdown deadline. Trump has promised to “take the mantle” and be “proud” if funding lapses as he tries to secure money for the wall. House Republicans, knowing funding for the barrier would not get through both chambers, approved their bill Thursday after Trump threatened to veto the Senate-passed measure without wall money.
As the procedural Senate vote remained open for hours Friday, Pence, incoming White House chief of staff Mick Mulvaney and Trump’s advisor and son-in-law Jared Kusher navigated the Capitol trying to make progress toward a deal. They met with Schumer at the White House’s request, a spokesman for the Democrat said.
A temporary government shutdown was all but guaranteed Friday night as Congress struggled to break a stalemate over money for President Donald Trump’s proposed border wall.
Parts of the government will close if Congress cannot pass seven spending bills by midnight Friday. Lawmakers scrambled through the afternoon and into the early evening to break an impasse over whether to fund the barrier on the U.S.-Mexico border.
But the House adjourned at about 7 p.m. ET Friday without passing legislation that the Senate supports, and the chamber is not due back until noon Saturday. Then the Senate adjourned at about 8 p.m. ET without approving a spending bill that the House backs. Senators are expected back at noon Saturday, as well.
The deadlock leaves Washington almost certain to let funding lapse for the third time this year. A closure could last through Christmas and into the new year, past when Democrats take control of the House on Jan. 3. It would send the unified Republican government out in a swirl of chaos that marked Trump’s first two years in the White House.
Still, lawmakers could move quickly to pass spending legislation this weekend if leaders reach an agreement. House Republicans told members they would get 24 hours of notice before a vote.
Shortly before 6 p.m. ET Friday, the GOP-controlled Senate voted 48-47 to advance a House-passed bill to keep the government running through Feb. 8 and put more than $5 billion toward the president’s wall. Vice President Mike Pence had to break a tie after a vote that lasted five hours and 18 minutes, the longest in Senate history, according to NBC News.
Republicans decided to move the bill forward even though it would have failed in a final vote. Democrats have unequivocally said they will not approve money for the border barrier. Instead, lawmakers aim to use the House-passed bill to “preserve maximum flexibility” as Democrats try to strike a deal with the White House on a spending bill that can pass both the Senate and House, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell said.
“When an agreement is reached, it will receive a vote here on the Senate floor,” he said. Both Sens. Bob Corker, R-Tenn., and Jeff Flake, R-Ariz., agreed to advance the measure with the assurance that lawmakers would next vote once they had a plan that could get through both chambers of Congress.
It left negotiators limited time to strike a deal before the shutdown deadline. Trump has promised to “take the mantle” and be “proud” if funding lapses as he tries to secure money for the wall. House Republicans, knowing funding for the barrier would not get through both chambers, approved their bill Thursday after Trump threatened to veto the Senate-passed measure without wall money.
As the procedural Senate vote remained open for hours Friday, Pence, incoming White House chief of staff Mick Mulvaney and Trump’s advisor and son-in-law Jared Kusher navigated the Capitol trying to make progress toward a deal. They met with Schumer at the White House’s request, a spokesman for the Democrat said.
President Donald Trump speaks with Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) in the Oval Office of the White House in Washington, U.S., December 11, 2018.
The other two offers are six appropriations bills paired with a continuing resolution for the Department of Homeland Security,or seven continuing resolutions.
Lawmakers on Capitol Hill also discussed the possibility of passing $1.6 billion in border security money to break the stalemate, according to reports. However, House conservatives — Trump allies who rallied him against the Senate’s previous short-term funding bill — reportedly oppose such a deal.
Democrats, whose votes are needed to reach the necessary 60 in the Senate, have repeatedly said they will not approve funds for the barrier. Republicans hold a 51-49 majority.
As lawmakers and his administration officials tried to dodge a shutdown at the Capitol, Trump tweeted a drawing of what he called a “Steel Slat Barrier” he hopes to build. It showed thin metal poles with spikes at their tips. He wrote: The structure is “totally effective while at the same time beautiful!”
A design of our Steel Slat Barrier which is totally effective while at the same time beautiful!
63.6K people are talking about this
Some of the many Bills that I am signing in the Oval Office right now. Cancelled my trip on Air Force One to Florida while we wait to see if the Democrats will help us to protect America’s Southern Border!
37.7K people are talking about this
The Kentucky Republican argued the “political winds” on the left made Democrats reluctant to support a bill that “would be quite uncontroversial in a more normal political moment.” Moments before McConnell made those comments, Schumer insisted Democrats would not fund the wall.
“There are no votes in the Senate for an expensive taxpayer-funded border wall. So, President Trump, you will not get your wall,” he said. “Abandon your shutdown strategy. You are not getting your wall today, next week or on Jan. 3 when Democrats take control of the House.”
Funding for nine departments, including Homeland Security, Justice and State, will lapse after midnight. While essential law enforcement officers and other employees would stay on the job, many would not get paid during the shutdown.
As lawmakers tried to find a way forward Friday afternoon, McConnell held up a button to reporters reading “Senate Cranky Coalition.” He called it the “unanimous position” of the Senate GOP conference at the time.
“If the Dems vote no, there will be a shutdown that will last for a very long time,” the president wrote.
The Democrats, whose votes we need in the Senate, will probably vote against Border Security and the Wall even though they know it is DESPERATELY NEEDED. If the Dems vote no, there will be a shutdown that will last for a very long time. People don’t want Open Borders and Crime!
34.2K people are talking about this
The president prepared to scrap a planned trip to Florida as a shutdown appeared more likely Friday.
House Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy said Thursday that the House would not take up the Senate-passed temporary funding measure because “the president said he would veto that.” He said the chambers “would try to find where the common ground lies” if the Senate opposed border wall money.
Asked Thursday what would happen if the Senate votes down the House bill, Schumer told reporters, “Your guess is as good as mine.”
As Trump lamented a lack of Democratic votes Friday morning, he again pushed the Senate to scrap the legislative filibuster that requires 60 votes for most legislation. He wrote of McConnell: “Mitch, use the Nuclear Option and get it done!”
Mitch, use the Nuclear Option and get it done! Our Country is counting on you!
44.8K people are talking about this
He thanked Sen. Steve Daines, R-Mont., for “being willing to go with the so-called nuclear option in order to win on DESPERATELY NEEDED Border Security! Have my total support.”
McConnell has rejected Trump’s repeated requests to get rid of the filibuster rule for legislation. He reiterated his opposition Friday.
“The Leader has said for years that the votes are not there in the Conference to use the nuclear option,” McConnell spokesman David Popp said in a statement. “Just this morning, several Senators put out statements confirming their opposition, and confirming that there is not a majority in the conference to go down that road.”
Plus, the process could not be used for a spending bill, according to McConnell’s office.
Schumer also opposes getting rid of the legislative filibuster. Republicans did scrap the 60-vote threshold for Supreme Court justices last year.
Source:>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>Here
One of the penalties for refusing to participate in politics is that you end up being governed by your inferiors. -- Plato (429-347 BC)
"FIGHTING FOR FREEDOM AND LIBERTY"
and is protected speech pursuant to the "unalienable rights" of all men, and the First (and Second) Amendment to the Constitution of the United States of America, In God we trust
Stand Up To Government Corruption and Hypocrisy
NEVER FORGET THE SACRIFICES
BY OUR VETERANS
Note: We at The Patriot cannot make any warranties about the completeness, reliability, and accuracy of this information.
Don't forget to follow the Friends Of Liberty on Facebook and our Page also Pinterest, Twitter, Tumblr, Me We and Google Plus PLEASE help spread the word by sharing our articles on your favorite social networks.
LibertygroupFreedom 
The Patriot is a non-partisan, non-profit organization with the mission to Educate, protect and defend individual freedoms and individual rights.
Support the Trump Presidency and help us fight Liberal Media Bias. Please LIKE and SHARE this story on Facebook or Twitter.
WE THE PEOPLE
TOGETHER WE WILL MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN!
Join The Resistance and Share This Article Now!
TOGETHER WE WILL MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN!
Help us spread the word about THE PATRIOT Blog we're reaching millions help us reach millions more.
Help us spread the word about THE PATRIOT Blog we're reaching millions help us reach millions more.
Please SHARE this now! The Crooked Liberal Media will hide and distort the truth. It’s up to us, Trump social media warriors, to get the truth out. If we don’t, no one will!
Share this story on Facebook and let us know because we want to hear YOUR voice!
Facebook has greatly reduced the distribution of our stories in our readers' newsfeeds and is instead promoting mainstream media sources. When you share with your friends, however, you greatly help distribute our content. Please take a moment and consider sharing this article with your friends and family. Thank you
Share this story on Facebook and let us know because we want to hear YOUR voice!
Facebook has greatly reduced the distribution of our stories in our readers' newsfeeds and is instead promoting mainstream media sources. When you share with your friends, however, you greatly help distribute our content. Please take a moment and consider sharing this article with your friends and family. Thank you
No comments:
Post a Comment