Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell announced he would finally hold votes tomorrow on two measures: Trump’s “compromise” proposal, and a House-passed package that includes a continuing resolution.
One measure is a bipartisan, common sense plan to reopen the government; the other is just another political stunt. Senate Republicans have already supported the House-passed measure, so they have no excuse not to join Democrats in ending the Trump Shutdown.
The Senate will have a chance to vote on a clean proposal to reopen the government tomorrow.
CNN: “The other vote will be on House-passed legislation backed by Democrats to reopen the government without providing new funding for the wall.”
This proposal has already passed the House, so it is the only proposal that, if passed, would reopen the government.
The Hill: “The House passed a Democratic-backed emergency disaster relief bill on Wednesday that includes an amendment funding the federal government through early February. The bill passed in a 237-187 vote, with six Republicans joining Democrats in voting for the measure, which would reopen parts of the government and fund them through Feb. 8.”
Senate Republicans have no excuse not to pass this package considering they already supported a similar measure last month.
Reuters: “The U.S. Senate on Wednesday approved funds for several federal agencies, including the Department of Homeland Security, to keep them operating through Feb. 8 without the $5 billion to build a wall on the U.S.-Mexico border that President Donald Trump had demanded. By a voice vote, the Senate passed the temporary funding bill for about one-quarter of government operations, which the House of Representatives is expected to try to pass this week before a midnight Friday deadline when existing funds expire.”
Trump’s proposal was never intended to pass, it is yet another stunt to avoid responsibility and deflect blame.
CNN: “His plan however appeared to be as much an effort to ease his own political predicament on the shutdown as a true attempt to tempt Democrats into a deal as it did not seriously address their demands and he did not consult them before making his announcement.”