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© (c) Copyright Thomson Reuters 2018.Senators race to end U.S. government shutdown before work week begins
By Susan Cornwell and Howard Schneider WASHINGTON©2024 GPlusMedia Inc.
55 Comments
nostromo
I seem to recall when Obama was facing the same situation, Trump gleefully advising everyone that the ultimate responsibility for any government shutdown lay with the President.... then again, Obama wasn't the self proclaimed "worlds greatest negotiator" that Trump claims to be ....
sf2k
mail him off to LV-426, see if he can negotiate there
bass4funk
Got that right
Can we send Shumer and Nancy into those caves first? Without the masks?
CrazyJoe
Trump is an authoritarian blowhard.
He's also a shameless serial liar.
He has zero credibility.
As Tammy Duckworth said, "I am not going to be lectured on the needs of the military by a five-deferment draft dodger."
This shutdown is all about promoting Trump's xenophobic racism.
Stand firm, Democrats.
gelendestrasse
A pox on both their houses as they play politics with people's lives. The US government has sunk to new levels. Can you get lower than pond scum?
starpunk
Awww, Donny il Douche is finding out that he's not a god after all and people just won't kowtow to his sick dreams. Congress needs to start impeaching him because you can't work with a one-track idiot like Trump and he has already broken several laws.
SuperLib
Trump would have a lot more leverage if his approval ratings weren't so low.
katsu78
Meanwhile, instead of actually negotiating or doing anything productive, Trump stages photos of himself hilariously pretending to be hard at work, oblivious to the fact that people who actually do work don't stare directly at the camera or take important phone calls from a completely empty desk that doesn't even have a pencil or memo pad on it, not to mention files or a computer.
So he can't even pretend to work correctly because he doesn't actually know what work is.
otherworldly
They will cave like they always do.
yakyak
The Obama administration put barricades in front of the WWII memorial, on the National Mall, arguably to keep out military veterans and to try to put the blame on Republicans.
bones
How is it that you control the house, senate and still can’t agree on anything or show any sort of accountability?
at some point people are going to have to wake up and say enough of the BS, a clown is literally running the country. Time to oust bozo and his sideshow
katsu78
More like, "if only I could land a job where the CEO, board of directors, and upper management are all dominated by people with the same ideology toward how a company should be run, but they somehow still can't agree on a budget so some days I have to stay home because they can't agree to keep the lights on."
bass4funk
Wow! I guess that means the last 8 years were under a hammer and a sickle.
Der in, Shumer and Shiff aren’t exactly the exemplary role models for being truthful or honest.
Neither does the Democratic Party, especially under Schumer.
Yeah, coming from a Democrat and from what State? A blue State and serving with whom? Dick Derbin, go figure. Lol
Oh, please the racist Democrats don’t care about the dreamers, if they did, they would have made that their top priority, but they would rather put Americans and our military on the back burner. Tick, tick, tick, the Dems completely screwed themselves this time.
More like stand up for Americans.
katsu78
Yup! That's exactly what they're doing.
viking68
This vote requires 60 Senators for approval.
Therefore, the GoP and the President must negotiate in good faith. The GoP, Dems and the President agreed to a deal only to have the President throw the GoP and Dems under the bus. You can thank Steve Miller for that one.
Sure, the Dems are using this vote to push some small points, like extending DACA, and to refuse to fund a (useless) wall, which is a bigger policy decision and should be considered separately.
All in all, the GoP and the President cannot effectively govern if they cannot negotiate and want to play one side rules politics. The GoP's majority is too thin and looks like it will get thinner or disappear in 2018 midterms.
The main reason McConnell doesn't want to go with the "nuclear" option is fear. He fears that a loss of control of the Senate will provide the Democrats with that "nuclear" power should they win a majority. The filibusterer is in place to force both sides to come to a negotiated agreement agreeable to both parties. Reducing that voting requirement would grant the Dems a lot of power if they gained a majority in the senate.
bass4funk
See, we both can agree on something for a change and If so, then the Dems should stop the shenanigans and do the right thing.
Actually, the President does want a deal, but he’s putting Americans first, Shumer was the one that said, No deal to an end to chain migration, the visa lottery program and funding for the wall, I don’t blame the President one bit, give the Dems the leverage and they will run with this and it could cost giving amnesty to 3.6 million people that broke the law. That is insane!
I’m Not 100% sure on the outcome, it could also work to their benefit where they could gain a few seats particularly in the Senate. So while they will lose seats, there is blue sky across the horizon.
Yes, that is very true, but if this continues, this is AN option the GOP has, but I wouldn’t advise it personally, so they need to continue the talks and come to the middle because neither side is going to give up their main fundamental interests.
plasticmonkey
He's putting the uninformed emotions of his base first. He thinks that will get him reelected.
I suspect you are grossly misinformed about how this works, and if you're not then you have a problem with allowing green card holders (i.e. legal residents) to stay together with their spouse and dependent children. I guess conservatives are not really so keen on protecting family values after all.
Another deliberate misrepresentation of facts. There are not 3.6 million dreamers. And DACA is supported by an overwhelming majority of Americans. The shutdown is the doing of the House Freedom Caucus, who once again have taken the country hostage for the sake of their own petty grievances.
Castella
Typical liberal stereotype. Nothing racist about immigration reform.
Need to stay informed.
Castella
Can you name a few?
Fact check: Obama broke the law with his DACA program by authorizing amnesty for illegals. Under the Constitution, the president does not have the power to do that. It falls under the purview of Congress.
Personally speaking, I do believe that the "dreamers" should be given a pathway to U.S citizenship, as their residency is no fault of their own. However, the legal ramifications of this issue must be resolved by Congress.
Strangerland
What does that have to do with the fact that Trump declared that the fault for the shutdown showed the president to be a weak leader when it was Obama? That's the comment you replied to with the irrelevance above.
Which is the correct way of thinking, and is the same reason the Democrats didn't go with the nuclear option when in the same position. Had Obama done that, the Republicans would have pushed through their crap right now.
You just said that the right thing to do is stand up for Americans, which is what the democrats are doing. So they are already doing the right thing.
You seem to be under the misunderstanding that the people actually support Trump and his policies. Not only is it shown that they don't, by his record-setting low poll levels, the people didn't even support him when he was elected (only the electoral college did that).
Good on the Democrats for doing the right thing even by Republican standards!
Not in and of itself. But there is plenty racist (or at the least, bigoted) about Trump's immigration reform.
Wakarimasen
Hehe. This site just like congress. more focused on attributing blame for this time instead of recognizing that this has happened over 20 times since the 70's and is a symptom of the rubbish state of UIS government finances as well as the tendency to dysfunction that is inherent if the US 2 party system.
8T
bass4funk
As do the Dems, both are playing a game of chess.
No, I know how it works, I’m from California, the illegal alien capital of the US. As is the law, their parents chose to enter the US illegally, so If that means some families can’t be together then they need to follow the procedures and earn their way, but rewarding them for breaking the law and putting them and their needs before native citizens is insane and should be condemned ins the strongest terms.
Funny, you were the one that was advocating of keeping extended families together, so if you go by that and add each and every extended family members you will go over 3 million if you have over 800-900 or let's just say a million Dereamers, then it would amount to what I said. Not a lie, I know math isn’t a Liberals strongest attributes, but these are just raw basic estimates.
Yes, but even more Americans think that it’s outrageous that the Democrats want to put the dreamers before Americans to over 92%
Not this time, the Democrats and Shumer own this, they had a deal, Shumer said, No. His loss.
Strangerland
Ahh, the good old "alternative facts" that aren't actually based in reality.
Nope. Americans support DACA. Or are you spouting "alternative facts" as well?
Won't be his loss - it's been shown that the public blames the ruling party when they can't even keep the government running - and last time it happened, the ruling team didn't have all three houses.
SuperLib
Trump uses cheaper foreign labor in his American resorts, so using foreigners over Americans isn't that big of a deal.
wtfjapan
More like stand up for Americans. they are standing up for Americans, do I need to remind you AGAIN that more Americans support the Dems than Trump
wtfjapan
Which is the correct way of thinking, and is the same reason the Democrats didn't go with the nuclear option when in the same position. Had Obama done that, the Republicans would have pushed through their crap right now. exactly whatever rule change you want to bring in halfway through the game so you can win can easily come back and bite you in the butt when the opposition use it against you in the future.
katsu78
They already are doing the right thing, standing up for Americans by opposing Trump's nonsense. Trump is anti-American, opposing the American values that say the measure of a person is their character and willingness and ability to work to make the world a better place, not the country they come from or the color of their skin or their religion. Any time we stop him and his bigoted agenda, Americans together get a victory.
mukashiyokatta
This shutdown will add EVEN MORE momentum towards the movement that will see MASSES of Republicans VOTED OUT of office in this year's midterm elections. Can't wait! THAT news won't be fake!!
Goodlucktoyou
I know one country the whole world is laughing at right now. Hehehe.
feel sorry for hard working people who have mortgages and kids in university. They probably have loans and get non paid leave.
FullM3taL
Jan 20, 2017 - Trump inaugurated as President.
Jan 20, 2018 - US government shuts down.
To be fair, Trump did say he was gonna run the government like his businesses! He gave everyone advanced warning!
The only guy to lose money running a casino. Declared bankruptcy 6 times in the past. Still thinks he is the greatest negotiator of all time. During Obama presidency shutdown in 2013, says that the buck stops with the President and it is the Presidents fault that shutdown happened. Now when it happens under his watch, says the Dems (who are in the minority) are to blame!
Strangerland
Well he's being consistent insofar as in his eyes it's always someone else's fault.
taj
During a government shut down, do all the cleaning and cooking staff on capitol hill and in the white house also go off work? No one replacing the bog roll, no one making coffee, no assistants bringing copies, etc. might put a bit more pressure on everyone to negotiate in good faith.
Politicians, from the top on down should feel the inconvenience that they inflict on others, first and hardest. If their security details were told to stay home on unpaid leave you can bet they'd get things done sharply.
plasticmonkey
No, you clearly don't know how "it" works, regardless of where you're from. I was responding to your statement about "chain migration" (i.e. legal green card holders being allowed to live with their spouse and dependent children). Now in your response you spout off about illegal immigration and DACA. Two completely different things.
Let's make it simple. Yes or no: do you believe that legal immigrants should be allowed to live with their spouse and dependent children? ("CHAIN MIGRATION")
Yes or no: do you believe people who have lived almost their entire lives in the United States but whose parents brought them illegally should be deported? (DACA)
It's Schumer. You'll need that for your Wapo piece.
Tommy Jones
The same con posters still providing ignorant, irrelevant, counter-factual bloviations that they try to strengthen with personal anecdotes. At least those posters are consistent.
Trump is such a master negotiator. One major piece of legislation and a shutdown in his first year. There really is no intellectually honest comparison between Train-Wreck Trump and competent, articulate Obama.
bass4funk
Yes, the majority of Americans don't want DACA to come before Americans. The word alternate was invented by liberals occupying the Unicornverse.
Not this time, more and more of the blame this time around is streaming towards the Democrats, when liberal sites start referencing that, you know the world is about to end.
IN the coastal areas, that's true, not in middle America where the Kool aid doesn't reach.
I get it, we did the same opposing Obama, I get it, each wants to represent their side.
That would be the Democrats 110% no "if"or "buts" about that!
Of course it's not about race or color, well, with libs it's always about color, that's the only thing they can run on, but it's about if they have the right to be here and if they are a burden to our society, other countries do it, so we have that right as well. Living in this country is a privilege not a right.
Many of us feel the same about the left. Never retreat, never surrender.
Tommy Jones
Zichi: Cons lack a correct understanding of the Constitution. They also enjoy posting ignorant, irrelevant bloviations.
Matt Hartwell
Can an American please explain to me how this actually happens? Do you have a yearly budget? It just seems crazy and very disruptive. I don't know any other country that has this budget cap they have to negotiate every couple of months. I doesn't seem to stop the U.S from sliding deeper into debt. In the end, the spending continues.
I don't get it.
Joe Duncan
The only group to blame for this shut down is the Democrats period. The senate takes 60 votes, Republicans only have 51 total, that leaves the dems for 9. The ILLEGAL DACA was not even supposed to be taken care of until March. Even the dems dear leader Obama said it was not legal and they did it anyways. This budget garbage is also out of hand that these last few administration of not getting a long term budget done. UGH....
Tommy Jones
More incorrect posts from cons.
Tommy Jones
White House officials say Trump feels burned by Schumer after the immigration negotiations and they don't view him as an honest broker. Spokeswoman Sarah Huckabee Sanders said the senator's "memory is hazy" and his recollection of Friday's meeting is "false.""
Trump is saying someone else isn't an honest broker? That's rich given Trump's multiple bankruptcies, record of stiffing contractors, racism in not renting to blacks, saying he would be too busy to leave the WH, and the list goes on. A lot of credibility to be had from Train-Wreck Trump.
Strangerland
This means the Republicans only need to sway the opinion of 9/49 Democrats. That's less than 20%, less than one in five. Yet they can't even put together something that can satisfy even those few.
The other problem for the Republicans is that they showed that the opposition are not the ones who pay for a government shutdown in the eyes of the people, when they shut down the government in 2013. For those on the left that are more interested in party over country, they will see forcing the shutdown as a way to ramp up their chances of winning in the next election. The Republican's actions of five years ago is now coming back to bite them in the ass.
smithinjapan
bass4funk: "Many of us feel the same about the left. Never retreat, never surrender."
Even if it means supporting racists, and holding children hostage. As for not retreating, many Republicans are trying to distance themselves from Trump's recent comments and ads saying Dems are complicit in murder, making up alternative facts as to who made the ads.
SuperLib
Looks like Republicans are starting to call out Stephen Miller as the chief obstructionist to a deal.
bass4funk
The magnificent thing about Miller is, he knows the dinosaur establishment could care less if they give amnesty or not, do whatever you can and then let's go home. Go Miller!
SuperLib
Well I assumed you liked Miller because he will do anything to keep non-whites out of the US. But the practical issue is that Trump tends to agree with things, then checks with Miller, then suddenly backs out of the agreement. Hard to negotiate with a moving target.
SuperLib
I tend to believe this line of thinking:
https://www.cnn.com/2018/01/22/politics/trump-policy-shutdown-analysis/index.html
Trump doesn't spend time learning about the issues so it's easy to influence his decisions and he tends to agree with the last person he's talked to. That would explain why he says one thing on day, then contradicts himself next. It depends who was last in front of him.
His only function in the process is to inadvertently misdirect the negotiations and drive wedges between Republicans and Democrats as well as Republicans and other Republicans.
Wolfpack
No, they are both completely about illegal immigration. Obama’s DAPA program was struck down by the left leaning American courts. DACA was my n it’s way to the same fate until Trump reversed his predecessors illegal power grab. The far Left court that just recently allowed applications to resume has been overturned before on immigration issues and will again.
Dems throwing American democracy under the bus in their inane advocacy for many millions of people from other countries. It’s mind boggling. It’s as if the forgot who they work for. All illegals in America have representatives back home in their own countries. They are the one responsible for taking care of their needs. Why goes the American Democrat party have to sell out their own constituents due to the failure of foreign leaders? The US is rotting from the inside out from the dysfunction of Schumer, Pelosi, and the rest of the Dems international socialists.
SuperLib
Looks like they've reached an agreement.
Wolfpack
Dems just caved. Must have realized that priotizing illegal aliens and chain migration over military wasn’t good look for them.
Tommy Jones
Cons are hilarious in their use of talking points. They cannot think for themselves, so repeat verbatim whatever the WH or Fox provides. For example, the Dems "caved."
Cons also cannot help repeating falsehoods such as Dems prioritizing undocumented immigrants and chain migration over the military.
Funny how master negotiator, Train-Wreck Trump kept his mouth shut over the weekend.
Now, let's see whether McConnel keeps his word. Considering he stole a SCOTUS seat, I'm not holding my breath.
plasticmonkey
@Wolf
Read my post more carefully. I said “chain migration” and DACA are two completely different issues.