Drudge Report: Shutdown Deal Reached; Government to Reopen Temporarily
Drudge Report: Shutdown Deal Reached; Government to Reopen Temporarily
January 25, 2019
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President Donald Trump announced on Friday afternoon from the White House’s Rose Garden that he and lawmakers on Capitol Hill have reached an agreement to end the longest government shutdown in U.S. history.
“I’m very proud to announce today that we have reached a deal to end the shutdown and reopen the federal government,” Trump said in the Rose Garden. Trump also disussed the option of using a “very powerful alternative,” meaning a declaration of a national emergency to build the wall with executive authority in contravention of Congress, but said “I did not want to use it at this time.”
“In a short while, I will sign a bill to reopen our federal government for three weeks until Feb.15,” Trump said, confirming details first reported by the Drudge Report and subsequently confirmed by other media outlets. He said that he will ensure federal employees will receive back pay “very quickly.”
Trump also said this deal will trigger a bipartisan conference committee on Capitol Hill to begin reviewing a request from the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) for a border wall.
“Walls should not be controversial,” Trump said, adding that Border Patrol agents have told him that “walls work” citing previous Democrat support for barriers on the border and foreign countries like Israel that have built walls to protect their borders.
Trump ended his White House Rose Garden remarks by noting that if the Congress does not reach a deal by Feb. 15, the government will shut down again or he will use the executive authority for a declaration of a national emergency to build the wall.
This new development is a remarkable change in the trajectory of a shutdown that has lasted more than 30 days, starting before Christmas, and comes as Republicans on Capitol Hill got jittery after airports experienced major delays on Friday morning due to the extended shutdown’s long-term effects.
The Drudge Report flashed a banner headline on Friday afternoon that lawmakers have reached a deal to reopen the government and end the longest shutdown in history, at least “temporarily.”
The Drudge Report went up with three banner headlines announcing the news early Friday afternoon. The first read, “SOURCE: SHUTDOWN AGREEMENT REACHED.” The second said, “ANNOUNCEMENT SET FOR 1 PM.” The third said, “GOVT TO REOPEN ‘TEMPORARILY'”:
It is thus far unclear what the parameters are of a deal, as this is a breaking story. But CNN’s Manu Raju also reported that the White House is planning an afternoon announcement:
The White House is now making plans for an afternoon event today, where President Trump is poised to make an announcement about the border and the government shutdown, per @jeffzeleny@kaitlancollins. Invoking national emergency has been on the table
— Manu Raju (@mkraju) January 25, 2019
To reopen the government, a plan would need a majority in the U.S. House of Representatives, 60 votes in the Senate, and support from President Donald Trump. Democrats control the House, and Republicans control the Senate with a 53-seat majority. A quarter of the federal government has been shut down since before Christmas as Trump has pushed Congress to fund his planned wall along the U.S. border with Mexico.
Major Garrett of CBS News also confirmed, after Drudge, that there is a looming announcement from Trump on a shutdown deal:
Senior administration officials expect @realDonaldTrump to endorse short-term funding bill to reopen government in next hour. Final details being worked out in WH convos now. Unclear if 2 or 3 weeks. Border debate will continue. Stress on Govt systems was increasing.
— Major Garrett (@MajorCBS) January 25, 2019
This new development comes in the wake of news that several major airports experienced flight delays on Friday morning due to the shutdown affecting the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA). “The President has been briefed and we are monitoring the ongoing delays at some airports,” White House Press Secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders said in a statement Friday morning about the delays. “We are in regular contact with officials at the Department of Transportation and the FAA.”
Sanders later confirmed that the president will speak at the White House in the Rose Garden at 1:30 p.m.:
The President will make remarks regarding the shutdown in the Rose Garden today at 1:30pm. This will be an open press event.
— Sarah Sanders (@PressSec) January 25, 2019
After the White House announcement from Sanders, Drudge added another headline in red onto his group in the banner questioning whether this deal would have money for the president’s wall: “NO WALL FUNDS.”
Then, the Washington Post seemed to confirm these details that Drudge first reported. “Congressional leaders, Trump have reached a tentative deal to temporarily reopen the government without wall funds, according to Hill officials,” the Post reported. “With President Trump’s approval, the pact would reopen the government for three weeks while leaving the issue of $5.7 billion for the U.S.-Mexico border wall to further talks. The officials spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss private deliberations.”
Fox News’ Chad Pergram says the deal is likely to be a three-week continuing resolution to fund the government at current levels, and would potentially be approved in the House by a voice vote:
Senior source says the 3 week CR (which by definition, re-opens the government at existing levels) would provide some sort of conference committee vehicle to fund DHS.
Fox is told Hse could approve this by voice vote or by unanimous consent if the GOP is on board.
— Chad Pergram (@ChadPergram) January 25, 2019
Colleague Mike Emanuel rpts possible CR with no border funding through Feb 15 is what they are aiming for. Trump to speak at 1:30 pm et
— Chad Pergram (@ChadPergram) January 25, 2019
What’s more, the House and Senate may pass these via voice votes or unanimous consent, which could happen very quickly:
Senate now in recess subject to the call of the chair. Hse to meet at 2 pm et
— Chad Pergram (@ChadPergram) January 25, 2019Just a reminder on what MUST happen to re-open the government. Hse/Senate must ok the SAME spending measure. President must then sign it. Hse/Senate could ok the pkg via a roll call vote, unanimous consent or voice vote. Latter 2 options are fastest
— Chad Pergram (@ChadPergram) January 25, 2019
While the deal does not contain funding for new border wall or barrier construction, it does reportedly contain money for repairs to existing barriers:
