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| Senators Appear to Reach Deal to Avert Shutdown | Senators Appear to Reach Deal to Avert Shutdown |
| (about 2 hours later) | |
| WASHINGTON — Senate Democrats on Friday evening appeared to reach an agreement to avoid a government shutdown over a dispute on health care benefits for coal miners, moving toward a vote on a House-passed measure to fund operations through April. | |
| The party’s willingness to take the nation to the brink of a government shutdown signaled its intention, just weeks after their election drubbing in Rust Belt states, to quickly leverage the sorts of issues that propelled Donald J. Trump to victory. | The party’s willingness to take the nation to the brink of a government shutdown signaled its intention, just weeks after their election drubbing in Rust Belt states, to quickly leverage the sorts of issues that propelled Donald J. Trump to victory. |
| The House on Thursday passed a short-term bill that would keep the government open through late April and extend through that month health care benefits for retired miners who were set to lose them at the end of the year. But Democrats wanted those benefits to last for a year, and slowed down voting on the measure with the threat of rejecting the bill. | The House on Thursday passed a short-term bill that would keep the government open through late April and extend through that month health care benefits for retired miners who were set to lose them at the end of the year. But Democrats wanted those benefits to last for a year, and slowed down voting on the measure with the threat of rejecting the bill. |
| Late Friday afternoon, Republicans and Democrats agreed to take up the issue again in January. | Late Friday afternoon, Republicans and Democrats agreed to take up the issue again in January. |
| “We’re going to provide the votes to make sure we don’t shut down,” Senator Chuck Schumer, Democrat of New York, the incoming minority leader, said on the Senate floor Friday evening. “There are so many people who want to stand with the miners. We never intended to shut down the government.” | “We’re going to provide the votes to make sure we don’t shut down,” Senator Chuck Schumer, Democrat of New York, the incoming minority leader, said on the Senate floor Friday evening. “There are so many people who want to stand with the miners. We never intended to shut down the government.” |
| Senator Joe Manchin III, Democrat of West Virginia, who led the charge on behalf of the miners, said that senators from both parties had campaigned on giving a “fair shake” to working people. | Senator Joe Manchin III, Democrat of West Virginia, who led the charge on behalf of the miners, said that senators from both parties had campaigned on giving a “fair shake” to working people. |
| “It’s either put up or shut up,” Mr. Manchin said. “You’ve asked them to vote for you because of this reason. Now you have a chance to show them that’s why you’re here.” | “It’s either put up or shut up,” Mr. Manchin said. “You’ve asked them to vote for you because of this reason. Now you have a chance to show them that’s why you’re here.” |
| At least one Republican — Senator Shelley Moore Capito, Republican of West Virginia — had stood with Mr. Manchin. | At least one Republican — Senator Shelley Moore Capito, Republican of West Virginia — had stood with Mr. Manchin. |
| On Friday morning, the Senate majority leader, Mitch McConnell of Kentucky, urged his Democratic colleagues to approve the spending bill, warning that without it, the miners would lose their health care at the end of the month. | On Friday morning, the Senate majority leader, Mitch McConnell of Kentucky, urged his Democratic colleagues to approve the spending bill, warning that without it, the miners would lose their health care at the end of the month. |
| “This is a good time to take yes for an answer,” Mr. McConnell said. He pledged to work to prevent the expiration of the miners’ health care coverage next year and blamed Senate Democrats for contributing to the coal industry’s plight in the first place. | “This is a good time to take yes for an answer,” Mr. McConnell said. He pledged to work to prevent the expiration of the miners’ health care coverage next year and blamed Senate Democrats for contributing to the coal industry’s plight in the first place. |
| Democrats’ flirtation with a government shutdown — the sort of intransigence adopted by Republicans in the recent past — indicates their willingness to use the few tools available to them to block legislation next year, when possible, and to bludgeon Republicans with populist issues on which they share common ground with Mr. Trump. | Democrats’ flirtation with a government shutdown — the sort of intransigence adopted by Republicans in the recent past — indicates their willingness to use the few tools available to them to block legislation next year, when possible, and to bludgeon Republicans with populist issues on which they share common ground with Mr. Trump. |
| Mr. Manchin had furiously worked the phones on Friday morning to see how many senators would join him in voting against a procedural measure to advance the short-term spending bill. But he found that many senators, like those in the House, wanted to avoid a shutdown. | Mr. Manchin had furiously worked the phones on Friday morning to see how many senators would join him in voting against a procedural measure to advance the short-term spending bill. But he found that many senators, like those in the House, wanted to avoid a shutdown. |
| While Democrats now have the opposition party mantle that Republicans held through much of the Obama presidency, the dynamics are different. | While Democrats now have the opposition party mantle that Republicans held through much of the Obama presidency, the dynamics are different. |
| For instance, while Mr. McConnell distanced himself in the past from Republicans like Senator Ted Cruz of Texas when they sought to disrupt bills, Mr. Schumer stood with Mr. Manchin on Thursday night to call for the miner provisions. Mr. McConnell did not prevent the government shutdown of 2013, but in later years he worked harder to stem disputes before they got that far. | For instance, while Mr. McConnell distanced himself in the past from Republicans like Senator Ted Cruz of Texas when they sought to disrupt bills, Mr. Schumer stood with Mr. Manchin on Thursday night to call for the miner provisions. Mr. McConnell did not prevent the government shutdown of 2013, but in later years he worked harder to stem disputes before they got that far. |
| “We’re going to win this fight,” Mr. Schumer said this week. “We can’t predict the exact path, but we are going to win this fight, because we’re right.” | “We’re going to win this fight,” Mr. Schumer said this week. “We can’t predict the exact path, but we are going to win this fight, because we’re right.” |
| The coal industry has been decimated in recent years, with a string of bankruptcies. Lawmakers from coal-producing states, as well as the United Mine Workers of America, have been pushing for legislation that would protect the health care and pensions of retirees. | The coal industry has been decimated in recent years, with a string of bankruptcies. Lawmakers from coal-producing states, as well as the United Mine Workers of America, have been pushing for legislation that would protect the health care and pensions of retirees. |
| Democrats say that a short-term extension of miners’ health care benefits would leave them in limbo. “I’ve tweeted President-elect Trump,” Senator Sherrod Brown, Democrat of Ohio, said on Thursday, adding that the dispute over the miners’ health care was an early test for Mr. Trump. | Democrats say that a short-term extension of miners’ health care benefits would leave them in limbo. “I’ve tweeted President-elect Trump,” Senator Sherrod Brown, Democrat of Ohio, said on Thursday, adding that the dispute over the miners’ health care was an early test for Mr. Trump. |
| “In those communities they live in, Trump often got 70 percent of the vote,” Mr. Brown said. “I would think he’d want to help them, but so far he hasn’t.” Emails to the Trump transition team were not returned. | “In those communities they live in, Trump often got 70 percent of the vote,” Mr. Brown said. “I would think he’d want to help them, but so far he hasn’t.” Emails to the Trump transition team were not returned. |
| Mr. Trump has not spoken publicly about the Senate dispute, but he voiced frequent praise for coal miners during his campaign. “You watch what happens: If I win, we’re going to bring those miners back,” he said at a rally in West Virginia, where he donned a hard hat and mimicked shoveling coal. | Mr. Trump has not spoken publicly about the Senate dispute, but he voiced frequent praise for coal miners during his campaign. “You watch what happens: If I win, we’re going to bring those miners back,” he said at a rally in West Virginia, where he donned a hard hat and mimicked shoveling coal. |
| In addition to the fight over the miners, Senate Democrats were speaking out on another issue that seemed right out of Mr. Trump’s playbook, pushing to write into law a permanent requirement that American-made steel and iron be used in water projects. Such a requirement had been removed from a water projects bill that the House approved on Thursday, and Democrats were insisting that it be put back into the legislation. | In addition to the fight over the miners, Senate Democrats were speaking out on another issue that seemed right out of Mr. Trump’s playbook, pushing to write into law a permanent requirement that American-made steel and iron be used in water projects. Such a requirement had been removed from a water projects bill that the House approved on Thursday, and Democrats were insisting that it be put back into the legislation. |
| “The time is now for Donald Trump to take a stand in support of American workers,” said Senator Tammy Baldwin, Democrat of Wisconsin. | “The time is now for Donald Trump to take a stand in support of American workers,” said Senator Tammy Baldwin, Democrat of Wisconsin. |
| In a twist, Mr. Manchin was scheduled to meet with Mr. Trump on Friday in New York to discuss a possible job in his administration; the meeting was postponed until Monday. | In a twist, Mr. Manchin was scheduled to meet with Mr. Trump on Friday in New York to discuss a possible job in his administration; the meeting was postponed until Monday. |