Congress reaches deal to keep government open through September

Chicago Tribune ^ | April 30 2017 | Andrew Taylor, Associated Press

[iowamark]

Congressional Republicans and Democrats forged a hard-won agreement Sunday night on a huge $1 trillion-plus spending bill that would fund the day-to-day operations of virtually every federal agency through September, denying President Donald Trump funding for a border wall and rejecting his cuts to popular domestic programs.

Aides to lawmakers involved in the talks announced the agreement after weeks of negotiations. It's expected to be made public Sunday night.

The catchall spending bill would be the first major piece of bipartisan legislation to advance during Trump's short tenure in the White House. While losing on the wall along the U.S.-Mexico border, Trump won a $15 billion down payment on his request to strengthen the military.

The measure funds the remainder of the 2017 budget year, rejecting cuts to popular domestic programs targeted by Trump...

The measure is assured of winning bipartisan support in votes this week; the House and Senate have until midnight Friday to pass the measure to avert a government shutdown. It's unclear how much support the measure will receive from GOP conservatives and how warmly it will be received by the White House...

Democratic votes will be needed to pass the measure even though Republicans control both the White House and Congress. The minority party has been actively involved in the talks, which appear headed to produce a lowest common denominator measure that won't look too much different than the deal that could have been struck on President Barack Obama's watch last year.

The measure also taps $68 million to reimburse New York City and other local governments for costs involved in protecting Trump Tower and other properties, a priority of lawmakers such as Rep. Nita Lowey, D-N.Y.

[pollywog]

I’m so angry at Congress right now I am losing heart!! PLANNED PARENTHOOD??? California’s SPEED TRAIN to nowhere? and no funding for the WALL???
I hope the President doesn’t sign this........PERIOD!!!!
I’ve about given up and going to watch the country spiral downhill where we belong.
Drudge headlines say it all......

[gleeaikin]

What I find disturbing is that our President thought all this was going to be easy. Easier than his former life work.

[caww]

Stop getting hung up on the small stuff...especially when it’s reported apart from it’s context.

People need to toughen up because there’s going to be a lot they aren’t going to understand... because either they don’t have the ability to see the large picture or they’re letting the Demorats and Media feed them their crap.

I honestly don’t know what Trump could do to make things clearer without revealing his hand entirely....and even then people won’t get it. ......

[jpsb]

Trump ran on building the wall, this CR forbids any funds to build a wall from any gov source.
Trump ran on repealing Ocare, this CR funds Ocare
Trump ran on defunding planned parenthood, this CR funds Planned parenthood
Trump ran on no more Muslim "refugees", this CR funds bringing more Muslim refugees into the USA
This CR funds a bailout for Porto Rico.

This CR funds just about everything Trump ran against and the Trump administration calls it a good deal for the American people? Trump is toast if he signs this CR. There will be a blood bath in 2018 as the voters register their disgust with the GOP and Trump.

[jpsb]

Trump ran on building the wall, this CR forbids any funds to build a wall from any gov source.
Trump ran on repealing Ocare, this CR funds Ocare
Trump ran on defunding planned parenthood, this CR funds Planned parenthood
Trump ran on no more Muslim "refugees", this CR funds bringing more Muslim refugees into the USA
This CR funds a bailout for Porto Rico.

This CR funds just about everything Trump ran against and the Trump administration calls it a good deal for the American people? Trump is toast if he signs this CR. There will be a blood bath in 2018 as the voters register their disgust with the GOP and Trump.

[9YearLurker]

Trump shamelessly tried to tell us that the Obamacare tweak and relabel bill was somehow Obamacare repeal—and great legislation. Now his VP is telling us that he was involved in forging this 100% complete CR giveaway and somehow it is a great bill.

If there is no funding for the wall this year, there is less likely still to be funding for it next year—and after that we will be certain not to have a GOP-majority House after that.

We know that Jared and Ivanka are against the immigration enforcement agenda that Trump ran on, and he has put them in the most influential positions in his administration.

[sargon]

Trump ran on building the wall, this CR forbids any funds to build a wall from any gov source.

That doesn't mean the wall won't get built.

Trump ran on repealing Ocare, this CR funds Ocare.

That doesn't mean Obamacare won't be repealed and replaced.

Trump ran on defunding planned parenthood, this CR funds Planned parenthood.

President Trump has already made efforts to defund Planned Parenthood, and there's no doubt that when he submits his own budget, many of these issues will be addressed.

Trump ran on no more Muslim "refugees", this CR funds bringing more Muslim refugees into the USA.

The President has already shown his strong intent to curtail immigration from dangerous nations, and there's no sign of him changing that policy.

This CR funds a bailout for Puerto Rico.

Umm, OK. Earth-shattering stuff, there.

Trump is toast if he signs this CR.

Absolutely hysterical hand-wringing. Laughable.

If the President makes too many concessions in signing this CR, I'm confident that he has his reasons for doing so.

This President has earned our trust and loyalty a dozen times over. He ran his campaign his way, and managed to get elected, against all odds.

The same is true for his administration. President Trump is going to do things according to his own best judgement. There's no doubt that the President will never be able to suit the endless, shortsighted second-guessers.

But pronouncing the end of the world after every single event in this administration is just ridiculous.

You just keep underestimating President Trump. Thoughtful supporters will continue to give him the benefit of the doubt.

[caww]

I refuse to hear your continual grumbling.......your list is almost longer than the days Trumps been in office.....enough said.

[caww]

It’s been horrible hearing such grumbling here....I finally got more than irritated at the willful blindness and grumbling of some here to the prayer thread because they actually appear to need it more than Trump and this administration we’ve been given!

I learned a long time ago that people may not agree with me when I’m firm in my convictions regarding matters of importance, and there may be no way for them to see how they need to see no matter the facts or encouragement given......but they are helpless against our prayers.....so I appeal to him who can change those equations......because I have no further patience for them.

[caww]

If you’d stop grumbling about the same old things all the time then you might just be able to see things as they are. Otherwise you’ve already failed to see the wars being fought as they are let alone understand the battle field.

[jpsb]

In two or three weeks we will see who is correct. I’ll be happy to be wrong but I very seriously doubt I am.

[9YearLurker]

You’re the one who won’t see things as they are.

[caww]

Tunnel vision only gets you just that Lurker......and until you enlarge your vision that’s all you’ve got...just enough the demorats can play you.

[CottonBall]

I’m hearing there’s a lot of discretion in spending the $1.5T for border security.

I don’t like the Kushner’s being involved either.

But I’m not going to slam Trump nonstop - not until I see him renege on his promises. And his Saturday night rally only emphasized that he’s not backing down.

[9YearLurker]

There is express language saying nothing can be spent on a wall or on dealing with illegals already in the interior.

Those two are key and include an overall pro-amnesty position that Jared and Ivanka have been developing, with Trump telling Congress he’s interested in their revival of “comprehensive immigration reform” and of course DACA continuing and Trump’s rhetoric scaled back to only hunting down the gangbangers, etc.

[DoughtyOne]

I share your disdain for what Congress is doing.

It will lose in the end, because we’re not going to stand still for it any longer.

[DoughtyOne]

He’s getting up at three in the morning to handle the nation’s business.

I think I can cut him some slack.

[CottonBall]

Can you refer me to the language about the money not to be used for the wall?

I feel like I’m being used here, as so many Republican politicians have in the past. I am getting angry and frustrated. I don’t know where the truth lies with all the spin going around.

[gleeaikin]

Given the large and vocal negative receptions a number of Congresspeople have received in their home districts, I suspect they will have less desire to spend much time in their home districts.

[gleeaikin]

Trump told us that doing all he said he would do would be easy. Now I see him saying he has discovered it is hard. I remember thinking back in Sept. and Oct. when everyone was so enthused about all he was saying and promising “Just wait until he actually tries to herd his eGOP cats in the House and Senate.”