Paul Ryan accuses Democrats of holding funding "hostage" ahead of Thursday deadline
Speaker Paul Ryan on Tuesday accused Democrats of holding government funding "hostage" over an issue unrelated to government funding -- that is, legislation to address the plight of the Dreamers -- and urged Senate Democrats to stop their filibuster ahead of the Thursday deadline to avert another shutdown.
"I will remind you that the only reason we do not have a full budget agreement is because Democrats continue to hold funding for our government hostage on an unrelated issue -- they must stop using our troops as pawns in a game of politics," he told reporters after the weekly meeting of the House GOP conference.
The Wisconsin Republican told reporters that negotiators have been trying to strike an agreement to lift spending caps for six months, but said that Democrats have impeded those talks because of their demands on "unrelated items."
Congress faces a Thursday deadline to pass a new government spending bill.
GOP leaders plan to head off the threat of another government shutdown with a short-term spending bill that would also fund defense spending at increased levels for the rest of the fiscal year, which ends Sept. 30. They pitched the plan to rank-and-file Monday evening at a closed-door meeting.
The measure would not provide a fix for undocumented immigrants brought to the U.S. as children. Nor would it increase border security or provide funding for a southern border wall. They are planning to hold a vote Tuesday evening the measure, which, if successful, would avert a shutdown this week, on Feb. 8, and would keep the government funded into March.
Ryan reiterated Tuesday that Republicans will only bring an immigration bill to the floor that they and President Trump support.
House Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy, R-California, added that he will be meeting with Senate Minority Whip Dick Durbin, D-Illinois, House Minority Whip Steny Hoyer, D-Maryland and Homeland Security Secretary Kirstjen Nielsen on Tuesday afternoon to discuss immigration and a legislative solution for the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program.
