Thread: Senate Votes to Reopen Gov't: Senator Schumer Ultimatum, You Have 17 Days

This is what we need to bring the heat out on. Even if they open debate they would need sixty votes to cut off debate and vote. Am I right? This is how a lot of bills die; they are not able to cut off debate.

Senate Leaders Reach Deal to Reopen Government

January 22, 2018

The Wall Street Journal 39 mins ago Siobhan Hughes



WASHINGTON—The Senate voted to advance a bill that would reopen the federal government after a brief shutdown, as Democrats agreed to a short-term pause in their standoff with Republicans over immigration policy.


The vote was 81-18, easily passing the needed 60-vote threshold. Two Republicans joined 15 Democrats and one independent in opposing the measure.


Once the Senate passes the final bill with a simple majority, which is expected later today, the House is expected to follow up quickly and pass the same legislation. President Donald Trump would then sign the deal into law, ending a three-day shutdown that started Saturday.


The bill would keep the government funded through Feb. 8.


Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D., N.Y.) said Monday that he had reached an agreement with Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R., Ky.) to end the impasse. Mr. Schumer said he and Mr. McConnell have “come to an arrangement” in which Democrats would provide enough votes to advance legislation funding the government for three weeks, in exchange for an assurance that the Senate would consider immigration legislation in early February, if the issue has not already been resolved.


That legislation would address the fate of so-called “Dreamers,” undocumented immigrants who were brought to the U.S. by their parents at a young age. The Senate would consider the legislation under a process that “will be neutral and fair to all sides,” Mr. Schumer said.


Most Senate Democrats had previously voted against government funding without a path forward for legislation that would protect the Dreamers. In the earlier vote, they were joined by a handful of Republicans who also had objections to the short-term deal.


But Democrats began to yield after Mr. McConnell made conciliatory remarks on Monday, dropping accusations that Democrats had shut down the government over illegal immigration and offering more specificity about his willingness to vote on an immigration measure whether or not Mr. Trump had indicated his support.


“We should not let the political feuds or policy disagreements obscure the simple fact that every member of this body cares deeply about the challenges facing our country,” Mr. McConnell said on Monday. “All of us want to make life better for the American people.”


Republicans control 51 seats compared with 49 for Democrats.


Despite being a minority, the Democrats controlled enough seats to block legislation funding the government, which requires 60 votes to advance. They had aimed to use their leverage to force an agreement to shield the Dreamers from deportation and extend them a path to citizenship. The Dreamers’ legal protections expire March 5. In September, Mr. Trump decided to end the Obama-era program protecting them, called Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals, but he said he was giving Congress time to enact it into law.


Mr. Trump has expressed desire to protect the young immigrants, but wants additional immigration measures as part of any deal, beyond funding for the border wall he campaigned on. Mr. Schumer said he made significant concessions to Mr. Trump on Friday, including offering funding to build a wall along the border, but the president rejected it.


Pressure had mounted on both parties, as the workweek begins and more Americans feel the effects of the shutdown, including potential furloughs for tens of thousands of federal employees. Mr. Trump blamed the closure of government offices on Democrats on Monday morning.


“The Democrats are turning down services and security for citizens in favor of services and security for non-citizens,” Mr. Trump tweeted. “Not good!”



https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/polit...ent/ar-AAv1QxA

Senator Tim Kaine says that 30 senators agreed in total they have to give protections to dreamers. Not DACA recipients, the dreamers.

I feel no need to protect these people. A large percentage came here on their own, not with parents.

There's no guarantee that McConell will have to do this. Democrats can fuss and fume if they want---in fact they bluffed their way through a number of these phony shutdown situations before, they should get paid back for their treachery. I think the Democrats should get a clue that they are on the losing end of this in popular opinion and supporting anything sweeping at all just pours more gas on the fire. They will keep beating the same old drum, and more Americans are going to see how fake it is.

Then even if it gets put up as as bill, it still has to survive through committee markups. And then even to get voted on it has to get a 60 vote cloture. Unless they sneak this into some other must pass bill.

Originally Posted by Newmexican

I feel no need to protect these people. A large percentage came here on their own, not with parents.

Gang members

Originally Posted by Captainron

This is what we need to bring the heat out on. Even if they open debate they would need sixty votes to cut off debate and vote. Am I right? This is how a lot of bills die; they are not able to cut off debate.

You are right Captainron. They will need 60 votes as things are set up now.