Skip to content
News and updates

Category: Pure Politics

Both Senate Bills Go Down

Posted on

As expected, both versions of a Senate bill to reopen the government were defeated on procedural grounds earlier today.

To cut off debate and move to floor votes, both bills needed 60 votes, and neither reached that threshold.  The bill offered by Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) that contained the set of proposals from the President stalled by a vote of 50 to 47.  The counter offer from Minority Leader Charles Schumer (D-NY) fared better at 52-44 but did not hit the 60-vote mark.

As noted before, this series of votes represents the first set of floor activities related to the shutdown in the Senate.  The different parties now return to the negotiating table.

Read more about the votes here and here.

Senate Set to Vote on Competing Measures; Is That Progress?

Posted on

The Senate is scheduled to take up today two competing bills drafted to end the partial shutdown. Neither is expected to move forward.

The Republican measure follows the provisions outlined in President Trump’s remarks last weekend.  In addition to reopening the government, the bill also includes, among other provisions: $5.7 billion for a physical barrier; a three-year extension of protected status for 700,000 individuals currently in DACA; and a short-term extension for those currently Temporary Protected Status.  It would also make changes to the asylum process.

The Democrats’ counter-offer would reopen the government on a short-term basis through February 8, with no new funds for a border wall.  It also includes additional disaster funds and language that puts restrictions on how border security funds could be used.

With the current 53-47 make-up of the Senate, and because 60 votes would be needed to cut off debate and bring either measure to a vote, neither bill is expected to move forward in the process.  However, the votes today represent the first floor action in the Senate of any kind related to the reopening of the government since before the holidays.

 

House Continues to Take Up Funding Bills

Posted on

While the action in the Senate has been non-existent with respect to the shutdown, the House has been busy taking up and passing a host of bills to reopen the government.  None of the bills in the House has included funding for a border wall called for by the President.  The House action up to now has included passing individual bills as well as bundling them into a package.

Not surprisingly, the House action has not translated into Senate passage of any of the measures.

No End in Sight as Partial Shutdown Hits 24th Day

Posted on

With the partial shutdown now in its 24th day, making it the longest shutdown in history by far, there is still no in sight.  The two sides– the White House and the Congressional Democrats– have dug in their heels and no other meetings have been scheduled.

It was widely reported last week that a sizable number of the federal employees impacted by the shutdown did not receive their paychecks last week.  While some parts of the country may not yet have been impacted by the shutdown, the Washington Post reports on what else could be impacted in the days and weeks to come.

As Shutdown Reaches 21 Days, National Emergency Declaration Being Considered

Posted on

As the partial government reaches its 21st day, matching the longest shutdown, there is still no compromise between the White House and Congressional Democrats in sight.  With that as the current situation, President Trump has stated on numerous occasions that he has the legal authority to declare a “national emergency” to build a physical barrier along the Southern border.

The White House is considering several options with respect to finding funds for the wall, such as trying to use funds that had been designated to deal with other disasters, such as the California wildfires and the hurricanes along the East Coast in 2018, and using funds dedicated to military construction projects.

Even a declaration of a national emergency does not mean that the Administration would be able to build a wall quickly, or if at all.  A number of Republicans have publicly cautioned against such a move.  In addition, legal challenges will most likely be made to the declaration, with the outcomes uncertain at this point.

Additional information about the this fight is available here, here, and here.

While all of this is playing out politically, today is payday for those federal employees and contractors impacted by the shutdown.  The furloughed workers will not be paid today.  Read more about the situation impacting employees here.