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Trump Upsets Republican Strategy to Avoid Shutdown Government Shutdown Looms as House Moves Toward Budget Vote
(about 2 hours later)
WASHINGTON — President Trump blew up Republican strategies to keep the government open past Friday when on Thursday morning he said a long-term extension of the popular Children’s Health Insurance Program should not be part of a stopgap spending bill pending before the House. WASHINGTON — Congress stumbled toward a government shutdown this weekend as the House planned a showdown vote Thursday evening on a stopgap spending bill that Senate Democrats appear poised to block.
With a possible government shutdown looming this weekend, the House had planned to vote late Thursday on a stopgap spending bill that would keep government funding flowing to Feb. 16 as delicate negotiations continue to protect young, undocumented immigrants brought illegally as children from deportation. A perilous day on Capitol Hill began with President Trump firing off a tweet that undermined his party’s strategy to keep the government open past Friday. By late afternoon, it was uncertain whether a bill to keep the government open past midnight Friday could even clear the House, much less the Senate, where Democratic votes would be necessary to win passage.
But by midday Thursday, the chances of a shutdown appeared to be rising — a shutdown that would hit a year to the day after Mr. Trump took office. Efforts to negotiate a broader budget deal that would protect young undocumented immigrants, raise spending for military and domestic programs and fund children’s health care had been making progress until Mr. Trump referred to African nations as “shithole countries” last week. The ensuing uproar upended budget and immigration talks and emboldened Democrats. On Thursday, senior House Democrats introduced a resolution to censure the president for his words. At issue are the demands of Democrats — and some Republicans — that any further funding of the government include protections for young immigrants brought to the country illegally as children. Republican leaders had tried to win passage of a short-term spending bill that did not include any immigration provisions by attaching a six-year extension of the popular Children’s Health Insurance Program.
Republicans, hoping to keep the government open while tempers cool, turned to a one-month stopgap spending measure, but that gambit may be nearing a dead end. Nearly every House Democrat signed a letter on Thursday proclaiming opposition to the Republican spending bill. More ominously, Virginia’s two Democratic senators, Mark Warner and Tim Kaine, whose constituents include hundreds of thousands of federal workers, announced together that they too would oppose the temporary spending bill. They had been seen as among the most likely yes votes in the Senate, where Republican leaders need at least nine Democrats to support the bill. But the gambit appears to have failed, and the chances of a shutdown are rising — a shutdown that would hit a year to the day after Mr. Trump took office. The parties remain at odds over immigration and federal spending levels, a weeks-old standoff that grew more fraught last week after Mr. Trump referred to African nations as “shithole countries.”
The ensuing uproar upended immigration talks and emboldened Democrats. On Thursday, while budget negotiations made little ground, prominent House Democrats were introducing a resolution to censure the president for his words. The vast majority of House Democrats had signed a letter released Thursday proclaiming opposition to the Republican spending bill.
More ominously, Virginia’s two Democratic senators, Mark Warner and Tim Kaine, whose constituents include hundreds of thousands of federal workers, announced together that they too would oppose the temporary spending bill in the Senate. For the stopgap bill to succeed in the Senate, Republican leaders need at least nine Democrats — probably more, given several expected Republican defections — to support it.
“Congress should remain in session with no recess until we work out a long-term bipartisan budget deal that addresses all issues,” Mr. Warner and Mr. Kaine said in a joint statement.“Congress should remain in session with no recess until we work out a long-term bipartisan budget deal that addresses all issues,” Mr. Warner and Mr. Kaine said in a joint statement.
The president’s tweet only added to the confusion. Republican leaders had spent Wednesday pressuring Democrats to vote for the spending bill, arguing that opposing it would effectively block a six-year extension of the children’s health program, attached to the spending bill as a sweetener for lawmakers in both parties. Against that darkening backdrop, House leaders pressed forward with a planned vote on the temporary spending bill, which would extend government funding through Feb. 16.
Speaker Paul D. Ryan of Wisconsin said on Wednesday that it would be “unconscionable” for Democrats to oppose funding for the Children’s Health Insurance Program with a “no” vote on the short-term spending bill. Not only were Democrats opposed but many members of the House Freedom Caucus, a group of hard-line conservatives, expressed misgivings.
Hours after Mr. Trump’s tweet, the White House tried to walk it back. A White House spokesman, Raj Shah, said that the president supports the House’s stopgap bill. Representative Patrick T. McHenry, Republican of North Carolina and the chief deputy whip, offered an assurance that the stopgap bill would pass the House. But the vote-counting math remained in question. Representative Mark Meadows of North Carolina, the leader of the Freedom Caucus, said that more than 20 of his members were opposed or undecided on the bill.
Mr. Meadows, sounding glum, expressed frustration that Congress was looking to pass its fourth stopgap spending measure for the 2018 fiscal year.
“Three strikes, you’re out,” he said, adding: “I guess the speaker has the best plan, and so we’ll just see how that works out.”
A tweet by Mr. Trump on Thursday morning launched a day’s worth of confusion. Republican leaders had spent Wednesday pressuring Democrats to vote for the spending bill, arguing that opposing it would effectively block a six-year extension of the Children’s Health Insurance Program, or CHIP, which they had included in the spending bill. Funding for the program lapsed at the end of September.
Yet on Thursday morning, Mr. Trump suggested that the funding should not be part of the stopgap bill, writing on Twitter: “CHIP should be part of a long term solution, not a 30 Day, or short term, extension!”
Hours after Mr. Trump’s tweet, the White House tried to walk it back. A White House spokesman, Raj Shah, said that the president supported the House’s stopgap bill.
But Democrats pressed their advantage. Senator Chuck Schumer, Democrat of New York and the minority leader, brought up the tweet and questioned whether it meant that the president opposes the stopgap measure that congressional leaders from his own party are trying to pass.But Democrats pressed their advantage. Senator Chuck Schumer, Democrat of New York and the minority leader, brought up the tweet and questioned whether it meant that the president opposes the stopgap measure that congressional leaders from his own party are trying to pass.
“Who knows?” Mr. Schumer asked. “It’s a mess.”“Who knows?” Mr. Schumer asked. “It’s a mess.”
Representative Nancy Pelosi of California, the Democratic leader, made clear that she was unmoved by the inclusion of CHIP funding in the stopgap bill.Representative Nancy Pelosi of California, the Democratic leader, made clear that she was unmoved by the inclusion of CHIP funding in the stopgap bill.
“This is like giving you a bowl of doggy doo, put a cherry on top and call it a chocolate sundae,” she said.“This is like giving you a bowl of doggy doo, put a cherry on top and call it a chocolate sundae,” she said.
Traveling in Pennsylvania, Mr. Trump accused Democrats of provoking a shutdown to drown out discussion of his successful economic policies.Traveling in Pennsylvania, Mr. Trump accused Democrats of provoking a shutdown to drown out discussion of his successful economic policies.
“I really believe the Democrats would like to see a shutdown in order to get off that subject,” Mr. Trump told reporters before delivering a speech.“I really believe the Democrats would like to see a shutdown in order to get off that subject,” Mr. Trump told reporters before delivering a speech.
Despite the turmoil, Republican leaders appeared committed on Thursday to keeping the children’s health funding in the stopgap bill. Despite the turmoil, Republican leaders appeared committed on Thursday to keeping the children’s health funding in the stopgap bill. Mr. Ryan said he had spoken to Mr. Trump earlier in the morning and that the president “fully supports passing what we’re bringing to the floor today.”
Mr. Ryan said he had spoken to Mr. Trump earlier in the morning and that the president “fully supports passing what we’re bringing to the floor today.” Even if the House manages to pass the bill, the Senate would still need to give its approval in order to avert a shutdown early Saturday morning, and Democrats would be needed for passage given that the spending bill requires 60 votes in the Senate.
Senator Mitch McConnell, Republican of Kentucky and the majority leader, continued to press Democrats to support the stopgap bill, citing their professed support for extending funding for the Children’s Health Insurance Program. “We’re either going to act like 13-year-olds or not,” said Senator John Kennedy, Republican of Louisiana. “Our first job is to keep government going, and if you’re going to shut her down, it better be for a damn good reason.”
“I’m more than puzzled why they would threaten to turn their backs on those children and shut down the government while they’re at it over the entirely unrelated issue of illegal immigration,” Mr. McConnell said. He added that he had not yet heard a worthy reason.
Even if the House manages to pass the bill, the Senate would still need to give its approval in order to avert a shutdown early Saturday morning, and Democrats will be needed to overcome an expected filibuster. But Democrats appeared ready to block the spending bill, and a senior aide said the caucus had enough votes to do exactly that.
Eighteen members of the Senate Democratic caucus voted for the last stopgap measure in December. But several of them have already said they would oppose the latest bill or have suggested they were leaning in that direction, including Mr. Warner, Mr. Kaine, Senator Angus King of Maine and Senator Jon Tester of Montana.Eighteen members of the Senate Democratic caucus voted for the last stopgap measure in December. But several of them have already said they would oppose the latest bill or have suggested they were leaning in that direction, including Mr. Warner, Mr. Kaine, Senator Angus King of Maine and Senator Jon Tester of Montana.
Mr. Tester, who is up for re-election this year in a state that Mr. Trump won by 20 percentage points, said that a stopgap bill that included CHIP funding but left other issues unresolved was “not what we’re looking for.”Mr. Tester, who is up for re-election this year in a state that Mr. Trump won by 20 percentage points, said that a stopgap bill that included CHIP funding but left other issues unresolved was “not what we’re looking for.”
The extension of CHIP funding is important for Democrats, who have strenuously complained that federal funding for the program was allowed to lapse last fall. Democrats have been are under heavy pressure to oppose any spending bill that does not protect the young immigrants, known as Dreamers, who are now shielded from deportation from an Obama-era initiative, Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals, or DACA, that Mr. Trump moved in September to end.
But this week, Republicans have postured as the champions of CHIP, which began under President Bill Clinton.
“I feel that it makes no sense for Democrats to try and bring us to a shutdown, to try and cut off CHIP funding for the states that are running out of money, like Minnesota and Washington and Kentucky and other states,” Mr. Ryan said.
Mr. McConnell also highlighted the CHIP funding as he expressed hope that Democrats would support the stopgap bill.
“The Democrats in the Senate have been very consistent in clamoring for addressing the children’s health care program,” Mr. McConnell said on Wednesday. “This does it with a six-year reauthorization. They claim they don’t want to shut down the government, so it seems to me it would be a rather attractive package. I certainly hope that’s the way they look at it.”
But Democrats are under heavy pressure to oppose any spending bill that does not protect the young immigrants, known as Dreamers, who are now shielded from deportation from an Obama-era initiative that Mr. Trump rescinded.
If the stopgap bill passes, Mr. Schumer said, “there will be no incentive to negotiate, and we’ll be right back here in a month with the same problems at our feet.”If the stopgap bill passes, Mr. Schumer said, “there will be no incentive to negotiate, and we’ll be right back here in a month with the same problems at our feet.”
With his tweet, Mr. Trump even inadvertently backed late-night talk show host Jimmy Kimmel in his fight with House Republicans over their use of CHIP as a lure to win Democratic votes despite the impasse on immigration. Mr. Kimmel responded by saying that Mr. Trump was “absolutely correct.” Lawmakers were growing frustrated.
Why the president suddenly undercut Republican arguments was not immediately clear. On Wednesday, the Trump administration released an official statement endorsing the stopgap measure, including the extension of funding for CHIP. “I don’t want to play shutdown politics,” said Senator Cory Gardner of Colorado, chairman of the National Republican Senatorial Committee. “I think it’s a bad idea and a pox on both parties.”
Aside from the sudden debate over children’s health care, the fate of the stopgap measure still seemed uncertain because of resistance within the House Republican conference. Most House Democrats are expected to oppose the bill. His Colorado colleague, Senator Michael Bennet, a Democrat, agreed.
“It just makes us all look terrible,” Mr. Bennet said.