House, Senate pursue different bills to end record shutdown
The House of Representatives and Senate plan to take up different bills this week designed to end the government shutdown, though neither path is likely to end the stalemate that is now in its fifth week.
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi plans to bring up appropriations bills including new border security funding, but not funding for the border wall that President Trump is demanding to end the partial government shutdown. The Senate, though, will not take up this bill. Instead, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell plans to bring up the plan proposed by the White House, which House Democrats have already uniformly rejected.
Senate Republicans released a measure designed around the president's demand for $5.7 billion to build the southern border wall, all but guaranteeing Democratic opposition and no foreseeable end to a partial government shutdown. As the shutdown dragged through its fifth week, another missed paycheck loomed for hundreds of thousands of workers.
Voting in Congress was not expected until later in the week. Even then it seemed doubtful that the 1,300-page measure, dubbed the "End The Shutdown And Secure The Border Act," had any chance of passing swiftly.
Details of the measure released late Monday highlight the trade-off of border wall funding for temporary protection from deportation for some immigrants. The Republican package would reopen the shuttered parts of the government and boost some spending. To try to draw more bipartisan support, it adds $12.7 billion in supplemental funding for regions hit by hurricanes, wildfires and other natural disasters.
Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer's office reiterated earlier Monday that Democrats are unwilling to negotiate any border security funding until Mr. Trump reopens the government.
"Nothing has changed with the latest Republican offer," Schumer spokesman Justin Goodman said. "President Trump and Senate Republicans are still saying: 'Support my plan or the government stays shut.' That isn't a compromise or a negotiation — it's simply more hostage taking."
While the House and the Senate are scheduled to be back in session Tuesday, no votes have been scheduled on Mr. Trump's plan. And senators, who will be given 24-hour notice ahead of voting, have yet to be recalled to Washington.
McConnell spokesman David Popp said Monday the GOP leader "will move" to vote on consideration of the president's proposal "this week."
Mr. Trump, who on Sunday lashed out at House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, accusing her of acting "irrationally," continued to single her out on Twitter.
"If Nancy Pelosi thinks that Walls are 'immoral,' why isn't she requesting that we take down all of the existing Walls between the U.S. and Mexico," he wrote Monday. "Let millions of unchecked 'strangers' just flow into the U.S."
House Democrats this week are pushing ahead with voting on their own legislation to reopen the government and add $1 billion for border security — including 75 more immigration judges and infrastructure improvements — but no funding for the wall.
Mr. Trump later tweeted: "Democrats are kidding themselves (they don't really believe it!) if they say you can stop Crime, Drugs, Human Trafficking and Caravans without a Wall or Steel Barrier. Stop playing games and give America the Security it deserves. A Humanitarian Crisis!"