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Government Shutdown Looms as House Moves Toward Budget Vote House Passes Short-Term Spending Bill, Setting Up Shutdown Battle in Senate
(about 1 hour later)
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. WASHINGTON — The House approved on Thursday night a stopgap spending bill to keep the government open past Friday, but Senate Democrats — angered by President Trump’s vulgar aspersions and a lack of progress on a broader budget and immigration deal — appeared ready to block the measure.
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. The successful vote in the House, where the bill’s chances had appeared in question until shortly beforehand, provided only a faint glimmer of hope that a crisis could be averted before much of the government exhausts its funds at midnight on Friday. The bill would fund the government through Feb. 16.
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. But in the Senate, at least a dozen Democratic votes will be needed to approve the measure on Friday, and there is little chance those will materialize. Democrats are intent on securing concessions that would, among other things, protect from deportation young immigrants brought to the country illegally as children, increase domestic spending, aid Puerto Rico and bolster the government’s response to the opioid crisis.
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 weeks-old standoff on immigration and spending only grew more charged last week after Mr. Trump referred to African nations as “shithole countries.” By Thursday, budget negotiations were making little progress even as prominent House Democrats were introducing a resolution to censure the president for his words.
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. In the Senate, Democrats were unifying around a “no” vote. If the stopgap bill passes, Senator Chuck Schumer, the Democratic leader, 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.”
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. Republicans were left seething.
“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. “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.”
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. It is anything but clear which side would pay the steepest political price if the government does indeed run out of money a year to the day after Mr. Trump took office. But Mr. Trump is not making it easier for congressional Republicans.
Not only were Democrats opposed but many members of the House Freedom Caucus, a group of hard-line conservatives, expressed misgivings. The perilous day on Capitol Hill began with the president firing off a Twitter message that undermined his party’s strategy to keep the government open. 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.
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!”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. Hours after Mr. Trump’s message, the administration 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. Mr. Schumer 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.”
For hours afterward, it remained unclear whether Republican leaders in the House could muster the votes to get the stopgap through that chamber.
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. By Thursday night, the focus had turned to the Senate, with barely 24 hours left for lawmakers to find a way to keep the government’s lights on.
“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. 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.
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.” If Senate Republicans were unified in support and continued to lack the vote of Senator John McCain of Arizona, they would still have needed at least 10 Democrats to join them for the bill to succeed in that chamber. With several expected Republican defections, that number would grow even larger.
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. “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.
“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.” Against that darkening backdrop, House leaders pressed forward with a planned vote on the temporary spending bill.
He added that he had not yet heard a worthy reason. Not only were Democrats opposed, but many members of the House Freedom Caucus, a group of hard-line conservatives, had reservations. Earlier in the day, Representative Mark Meadows of North Carolina, the leader of the Freedom Caucus, expressed frustration that Congress was looking to pass its fourth stopgap spending measure for the 2018 fiscal year.
But Democrats appeared ready to block the spending bill, and a senior aide said the caucus had enough votes to do exactly that. “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.”
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. But shortly before the vote on Thursday night, the Freedom Caucus announced that it had decided to support the stopgap bill.
Traveling in Pennsylvania, Mr. Trump accused Democrats of provoking a shutdown to drown out discussion of the Republican tax overhaul.
“I think the Democrats would like to see a shutdown in order to get off that subject,” Mr. Trump told reporters before delivering a speech.
The Senate still needs to give its approval to avert a shutdown early Saturday morning, but Democrats are not ready to offer their assent.
Eighteen members of the Senate Democratic caucus voted for the last stopgap measure in December. But many of those members have already said they would oppose the latest bill or have suggested they were leaning in that direction, including Mr. Warner, Mr. Kaine, Senator Patrick J. Leahy of Vermont 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.”
Democrats have been 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.
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.”
Lawmakers were growing frustrated.Lawmakers were growing frustrated.
“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.”“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.”
His Colorado colleague, Senator Michael Bennet, a Democrat, agreed.His Colorado colleague, Senator Michael Bennet, a Democrat, agreed.
“It just makes us all look terrible,” Mr. Bennet said.“It just makes us all look terrible,” Mr. Bennet said.