Senate Democrats block quick vote on short-term spending bill
They want GOP to abandon abortion, other provisions.
Senate Democrats late Thursday blocked a quick vote on a short-term spending bill to keep the government open, roiling Washington with brinkmanship less than 30 hours before today’s midnight deadline to pass a bill or face federal shutdown.
Majority Leader Mitch McConnell pressed for an agreement on the short-term legislation that will carry through next week, giving lawmakers more time to complete negotiations on a $1 trillion government-wide spending bill for the remainder of the 2017 budget year.
But Democratic leader Chuck Schumer insisted there would be no vote until Republicans abandon efforts to add provisions on abortion, financial regulations and the environment to the legislation.
“Our position has been clear and it’s nothing news: no poison-pill riders,” Schumer said.
It takes 60 votes to bring a bill to the Senate floor for a vote, and with 52 members, the Republicans will need some Democratic support.
The House is scheduled to vote on the one-week extension this morning and the Senate could still vote ahead of the deadline.
In addition to the Senate’s potential failure to come up with a spending deal that could pass ahead of Trump’s 100th day in office Saturday, the House GOP looked unlikely to give Trump a victory on health care before then. A revised health care bill has won the support of the conservative House Freedom Caucus, holdouts on an earlier version that collapsed last month, but GOP leaders were struggling to round up votes from moderate-leaning Republicans.
“I don’t know if it’s bringing anyone over,” said Rep. Chris Smith, R-N.J., adding that he had been lobbied by leadership but still opposes the legislation because it would undo an expansion of Medicaid under President Barack Obama’s Affordable Care Act.
“There’s much of ‘Obamacare’ that has to be fixed. That part of it is critical,” Smith said.
Trump himself unleashed a tweetstorm of criticism at the Democrats, accusing them of trying to close national parks and jeopardize the safety of U.S. troops.
“As families prepare for summer vacations in our National Parks — Democrats threaten to close them and shut down the government. Terrible!” Trump tweeted.
“Democrats jeopardizing the safety of our troops to bail out their donors from insurance companies. It is time to put #AmericaFirst,” he wrote.
Democrats dismissed such accusations.
“We are never going to shut government down. In fact, we don’t even have the power to do so,” said House Democratic leader Nancy Pelosi. Referring to Republicans, she said: “They have the majority. They have the president. They have the Senate. They have the House. Any shutting down of government, the ball is in their court.”
Nonetheless, leaders in both parties projected certainty that a deal would ultimately be reached on the spending legislation, which covers all government agencies and is leftover business from last year.
“Talks on government funding legislation have continued throughout the week on a bipartisan, bicameral basis,” said McConnell, adding that the short-term extension will allow time for a final agreement to be completed and voted on next week.