USshutdown:Lawmakersplan bid to end immigration impasse
CELEBRATIONS CANCELLED Trump’s first anniversary as president marred by massive protests
WASHINGTON: TheUSSenatecould meetat1amonMondayorsooner to find a compromise and hammer out an agreement to end the federal government shutdown that entered its second day on Sunday.
Thegovernmentpartiallyshut down after Congress blew through a deadline to pass a short-termspendingbilltokeepit funded. Democrats wanted any fundingbilltobelinkedtoprotections to Dreamers — undocumented immigrants brought to the US as children, who are in danger of deportation.
A day later, US President Donald Trump and the RepublicanPartyblamedtheDemocrats for the impasse.
“GreattoseehowhardRepublicans are fighting for our MilitaryandSafetyattheBorder.The Dems just want illegal immigrants to pour into our nation unchecked. If stalemate continues, Republicans should go to 51%(NuclearOption)andvoteon real,longtermbudget,noC.R.’s!” TrumptweetedonSunday,referring to a rarely used parliamentary procedure to overcome the 60% support needed to clear spending bills, and to continuing resolutions, which are temporary allocation of funds.
This is not the first time that Trump has suggested the “nuclearoption”,thoughtheSenateRepublicanleadershiphasso far been unwilling to use it.
“(Charles Schumer) wants to keep thegovernment shut down until we finish a negotiation on the subject of illegal immigration,” Senate majority leader Mitch McConnell said of the House’s top Democrat. “If they continuetoobject,wecannotproceed to a cloture vote until 1 am Monday.ButIassureyou,wewill have the vote at 1 am Monday, unless there is a desire to have it sooner.”
Meanwhile,crowdsestimated to number in the hundreds of thousands took to the streets of major cities to march against Trump and his policies.
Trump and the Republicans arguethatbyblockingthespending bill, Democrats are siding withillegalimmigrantsandcausing hardship to federal employees, including military personnel,andaredenyinginsuranceto children and the poor under a government programme.
The Democrats, on the other hand, have accused Trump of renegingonadealmadewithhim on Friday, at which their party concededfundingforhisvaunted wallalongtheMexicanborderfor protection to Dreamers. He is understoodtohavegonebackon his deal with Schumer under pressurefromimmigrationhardliners in the White House.
Moderates from both parties are reported to be working on a compromise deal that will keep thegovernmentfundedforthree weeksandimplicitlyguaranteea votes on a series of immigration measures lined up.
Trump is staying in Washington,cancellingcelebrationsofthe first anniversary of his administration which he had planned in Mar-a-Lago. Instead, the White Housereleasedpicturesofhimat work on Saturday. He also tweeted: “This is the One Year Anniversary of my Presidency andtheDemocratswantedtogive me a nice present. #DemocratShutdown.”