Talks to avoid shutdown falter
Both sides have issues a day before scheduled vote
WASHINGTON — Negotiations to avoid a government shutdown sputtered Wednesday, a day ahead of a planned vote in the House, with conservative Freedom Caucus members issuing new demands while defense hawks seethed at the prospect of yet another short-term spending bill.
Prospects were equally dicey in the Senate, where several Democrats who’d approved earlier short-term spending extensions announced opposition this time around. They were under intense pressure to hold firm on a solution for young immigrants known as “Dreamers.”
“President Trump and the Republicans have a choice: they can either come to the table and negotiate in good faith on a responsible funding agreement and protection for ‘Dreamers’ — or they can cause a government shutdown,” said Sen. Tom Udall, D-N.M., one of those Democrats.
In the House, Freedom Caucus Chairman Mark Meadows, R-N.C., left an evening meeting with Chief Deputy Whip Patrick McHenry saying he had not been won over and that the short-term spending bill expected to come to the floor on Thursday remained short of votes.. His group is pushing for greater defense spending among other things.
The defections left the outlook uncertain, leaving open the possibility that the government will shut down Friday at midnight for the first time since 2013. GOP leaders in both chambers insisted that outcome would be avoided, and members of the House vote-counting team expressed guarded optimism that they’d be able to round up the necessary support for Thursday’s vote.
The White House expressed support for the one-month spending bill scheduled for a House vote Thursday, and congressional liaison Marc Short said he was optimistic it would pass. But at least one Republican — Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C. — complicated the GOP outlook on the Senate side, saying he had informed leaders he will oppose the bill.
Still, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., said there is a “good chance” the bill will pass in the upper chamber.