Thread: Shutdown continues: Senate blocks bills to fund government amid fight over Trump

Shutdown continues: Senate blocks bills to fund government amid fight over Trump border wall

Jacob Pramuk | @jacobpramuk
Published 39 Mins Ago Updated Moments AgoCNBC.com

Joshua Roberts | Reuters
Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY)

The Senate blocked dueling bills to fund the government on Thursday, leaving no clear path to ending the longest government shutdown ever.

Both a Republican-backed proposal and a measure supported by Democrats did not get the 60 votes needed to pass — though a plan to reopen the government without funding for President Donald Trump's border wall earned more votes. The failures to find a resolution come as 800,000 federal workers already stretched for cash start to miss another paycheck on Friday.

A GOP-backed measure to fund Trump's border wall and offer limited legal protections for some immigrants failed in a 50-47 vote. Three senators — Democrat Joe Manchin of West Virginia and Republicans Tom Cotton of Arkansas and Mike Lee of Utah — broke with their parties.

A plan supported by Democrats fared better, with a 52-44 vote. Five Republican senators supported it: Lamar Alexander of Tennessee, Susan Collins of Maine, Cory Gardner of Colorado, Johnny Isakson of Georgia, Lisa Murkowski of Alaska and Mitt Romney of Utah.

Democrats and some Republicans in the Senate have urged Trump to temporarily reopen the government while the White House and Congress negotiate a broader immigration deal.

Trump has insisted on securing funding for the wall before he agrees to fund the government.

Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell has repeatedly said he will not back a deal Trump does not support — even though the Senate voted unanimously before the shutdown started to keep the government running without funding for the barrier.

The Democratic-held House has repeatedly voted to fund the closed quarter of the government, or individual departments, without putting money toward the wall. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi has urged McConnell to pass the measures.

"Let's have that discussion [about border security] after we open up government," she told reporters Thursday.

The Senate votes Thursday come as the financial pain felt by 800,000 federal employees is about to sharpen. On Friday, those workers will start losing their second paychecks since the partial closure started on Dec. 22.

Thousands of government employees have scrambled to pay for meals and cover their bills. The shutdown has affected various services from airports to FBI investigations and food safety inspections. As hundreds of thousands of workers face furloughs or work without pay, the shutdown is expected to reduce gross domestic product growth.

Surveys indicate most Americans see the closure as a "crisis" or at least a "problem." They largely put the shutdown on Trump's shoulders. As Americans seek an end to the impasse, more of them believe the president should yield rather than think congressional Democrats should, according to a CBS News poll.

The stalemate more broadly represents gridlock in Washington. On Wednesday, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said she would stop Trump from giving his State of the Union address in the House chamberuntil the shutdown ends. The president gave in, saying late Wednesday that he will deliver the speech when the closure is over rather than find a different venue.

The Republican plan that failed would put $5.7 billion toward building the president's proposed wall. In an attempt to appease Democrats, Trump offered a three-year extension of legal protections for immigrants brought to the U.S. illegally as children and migrants fleeing crises in certain countries. It would also put more than $12 billion toward disaster relief, among other provisions.

Democrats eviscerated it, as the limited concessions for "Dreamers" did not go as far as previous proposals offering permanent residency or even a path to citizenship. Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer on Wednesday called the plan "one-sided, harshly partisan and made in bad faith."

McConnell earlier Thursday described the Democratic-backed plan as one "that does not have a chance of becoming law and solving the problem," according to The Washington Post.

He did not comment to reporters about what the next steps would be if the bills failed.

Erica Werner
✔@ericawerner

McConnell tells reporters: "My hope is that we will pass the proposal that could be signed into law and solve the problem, and that we will not pass the alternative which does not have a chance of becoming law and solving the problem."
Did not respond when asked next step.

64
8:26 AM - Jan 24, 2019

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It is unclear what steps lawmakers and Trump will take next. Earlier Thursday, Pelosi she would "meet with [Trump] any time he wants to meet" as the shutdown continues.

She also denied reports of a brewing Democratic counteroffer to Trump that would include $5.7 billion for technology and other measures for border security, but not a new barrier. Democrats have insisted that the U.S. can secure its borders without a wall as Trump describes it.

Trump shot down that notion Thursday. He wrote in a tweet: "Very simply, without a Wall it doesn't work."

He added: "We will not cave!"

This story is developing. Please check back for updates.

https://www.cnbc.com/2019/01/24/sena...wall-bill.html

McConnell: Senators will vote on Trump's immigration proposal on Thursday

Sad to see even Senator Cruz voted for the Trump Amnesty bill.

Several Republican senators voted with Democrats on their measure to temporarily re-open government agencies without money for Trump’s wall. They included freshman Senator Mitt Romney, his party’s 2012 presidential nominee.

https://www.yahoo.com/news/senate-fl...-business.html

Senate Press Gallery‏ Verified account @SenatePress 22m22 minutes agoMore


#Senate vote: Cloture not invoked on Schumer amendment, (#6);
52-44. (60 votes needed)

GOP voting in favor: Alexander
Collins
Gardner
Isakson
Murkowski
Romney

Not voting:
Burr
Paul
Risch
Rosen

8 replies42 retweets20 likes
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Sen. Susan Collins (R-ME)
2 YEAS

"Compromise is not a sign of weakness; it is a sign of strength, particularly when hundreds of thousands of families are being harmed."


Sen. Joe Manchin (D-WV)
2 YEAS

"Today I will vote for both gov funding bills b/c I believe we must end this harmful shutdown immediately & it’s our first opportunity in the Senate to do so. Even though they will probably fail, these votes are a start to finding a way to reopen the gov & get WVians back to work" (via Twitter)


Sen. Cory Gardner (R-CO)
2 YEAS

"Today, I will vote for both options to fund the remaining parts of the government and fund border security. I’ve consistently been against government shutdowns because I don’t think they are the right way to govern." (via Twitter)


Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R-AK)
2 YEAS

"The issues at our border and impasse over our immigration system weaken America but an indefinite government shutdown is equally damaging to our economy, our security and the well-being of the American people. This needs to end now." (via Twitter)


Sen. Lamar Alexander (R-TN)
2 YEAS

"I voted twice today to open the government because it should never have been shut down. It is always wrong for either side to use shutting down the government as a bargaining chip in budget negotiations – it should be as off-limits as chemical weapons are to warfare."


Sen. Johnny Isakson (R-GA)
2 YEAS

"Shutdowns cost the government more money; they don't save the government any money. They don't solve any single problem whatsoever, even when you mask them by only shutting down a little bit of the government, like we are right now."


Sen. Mitt Romney (R-UT)
2 YEAS

"It is always wrong for either side to use shutting down the government as a bargaining chip in budget negotiations – it should be as off-limits as chemical weapons are to warfare."


Sen. Tom Cotton (R-AR)
2 NAYS



Sen. Mike Lee (R-UT)

2 NAYS


Democrats who voted for GOP proposal:

• West Virginia Sen. Joe Manchin

Republicans who voted against GOP proposal:

• Arkansas Sen. Tom Cotton
• Utah Sen. Mike Lee

Republicans who voted for Democratic proposal:

• Tennessee Sen. Lamar Alexander
• Maine Sen. Susan Collins
• Colorado Sen. Cory Gardner
• Georgia Sen. Johnny Isakson
• Alaska Sen. Lisa Murkowski
• Utah Sen. Mitt Romney

https://www.cnn.com/2019/01/24/polit...ote/index.html

Originally Posted by JohnDoe2

Not voting:
Burr
Paul
Risch
Rosen

Rand Paul, slithers and slides out of anything important about immigration to keep his nose clean.

He was apparently too busy sending out emails about inconsequential stuff (I got one).

Beware Rand, many of us know where you stand on immigration and how you slither, slide, and dodge trying to keep it from showing.

Originally Posted by stoptheinvaders

Rand Paul, slithers and slides out of anything important about immigration to keep his nose clean.

He was apparently too busy sending out emails about inconsequential stuff (I got one).

Beware Rand, many of us know where you stand on immigration and how you slither, slide, and dodge trying to keep it from showing.

and here he is again today, another email ......

Hi Patriot, I don’t know if you’ve noticed, but part of the federal government is closed right now. The President and the Democrats can’t agree on border security funding, so about ¼ of the government is without funding. While part of me wants to say — hey, I want to cut government, so shutting it down isn’t a problem, right?
But the reality is, this isn’t the best way to either operate or cut government.
I have a better idea.
I’ve introduced the Government Shutdown Prevention Act, and just introduced it in Congress. Let me tell you about what my bill does:

----------------------------------

yada, yada

Notice---- the President and D's can't agree---doesn't say where he stands, or what he has done to attempt to end this invasion, or that he even realizes there is an invasion.

Go name a Post Office somewhere Rand, you're just another wasted vote.

Don't show up at a gunfight with a pea shooter and expect a good outcome.