Congress races to beat deadline on shutdown

The Hill ^ | 5 Dec 19 | BY JORDAIN CARNEY AND NIV ELIS

[SkyPilot]

Congress is racing the clock as they rush to prevent another shutdown poised to start in two weeks.

Though lawmakers have until Dec. 20 to get a funding bill to President Trump’s desk, negotiators say they really have just a matter of days to reach a deal on the fiscal 2020 bills to prevent having to approve another stopgap measure, formally known as a continuing resolution (CR).

Senate Minority Leader Charles Schumer warned Republicans that a wall was a “non-starter for Democrats” and that drawing red lines on the border could result in “another Trump shutdown.”

“We had hoped the president had learned his lesson, but it appears a year after losing the same battle, the president is considering a repeat of history,” Schumer said.

Republicans, however, say Democrats are trying to break a two-year budget deal by including restrictions on Trump’s ability to shift money to the wall in the spending bills.

“We’re stalled. We’re stalled because the agreement that we all reached in the summer has not been honored by the other side,” said Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.).

Lawmakers have three options if they’re going to avoid a shutdown days before the Christmas holiday: Get a deal on the 12 fiscal 2020 bills, pass another stopgap bill, or some combination of both.

Senate Appropriations Committee Chairman Richard Shelby (R-Ala.) said the next few days would be “crucial” as lawmakers have struggled to make progress this week.

“We’ve talked a lot and not done a lot. We’ve just got a few days,” Shelby said. “I’m not as optimistic as I was Sunday when I came back here.”

The tight time frame has sparked a flurry of behind-the-scenes negotiations: Subcommittee heads are meeting around the Capitol, and Shelby spoke by phone on Wednesday with Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin

[SkyPilot]

For those who are politically attuned and savvy - this is something to watch closely.

I know there are many out there who like to pull the string in the back of their neck and shout: "Shut errr dowwwn!" That is, as long as their SS check is on autopilot. However, there are many factors here to consider.

From the article:

The border is the main sticking point, and negotiators have been swapping offers. The GOP-controlled Senate included $5 billion for the wall in its Department of Homeland Security (DHS) bill while the Democratic-run House included no new funding in its legislation.

It's the Border Wall - again. The Democrats agreed last summer (behind closed doors) to a 2 year budget agreement. They are now talking about reneging on that, because they play dirty.

Last year, the partial shutdown occurred on Dec 22nd, but Defense and many other bills had already been passed by the House and Senate GOP, and were signed by the President well before December.

Today, none of the 12 Appropriations Bills have even cleared the House.

The article correctly outlines the options ahead:

Congress is racing the clock as they rush to prevent another shutdown poised to start in two weeks.

Though lawmakers have until Dec. 20 to get a funding bill to President Trump’s desk, negotiators say they really have just a matter of days to reach a deal on the fiscal 2020 bills to prevent having to approve another stopgap measure, formally known as a continuing resolution (CR).

Senate Appropriations Committee Chairman Richard Shelby (R-Ala.) said the next few days would be “crucial” as lawmakers have struggled to make progress this week.

“We’ve talked a lot and not done a lot. We’ve just got a few days,” Shelby said. “I’m not as optimistic as I was Sunday when I came back here.”

The tight time frame has sparked a flurry of behind-the-scenes negotiations: Subcommittee heads are meeting around the Capitol, and Shelby spoke by phone on Wednesday with Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin.

The border is the main sticking point, and negotiators have been swapping offers. The GOP-controlled Senate included $5 billion for the wall in its Department of Homeland Security (DHS) bill while the Democratic-run House included no new funding in its legislation.

Beyond haggling over the amount of new money for barriers, there’s also a rolling debate over Immigration and Customs Enforcement beds and Trump’s ability to reallocate defense money to the border wall.

Reports surfaced Wednesday that Trump would refuse to sign funding bills if there wasn’t some agreement on the wall. Eric Ueland, the White House director of legislative affairs, declined to say whether Trump would sign a fiscal 2020 package if it didn’t include a new measure for DHS.

“The president has laid out from the beginning of the year in his budget his priorities, we believe that bringing all 12 bills through is important,” he said.

Senate Minority Leader Charles Schumer (D-N.Y.) warned Republicans that a wall was a “non-starter for Democrats” and that drawing red lines on the border could result in “another Trump shutdown.”

“We had hoped the president had learned his lesson, but it appears a year after losing the same battle, the president is considering a repeat of history,” Schumer said.

Republicans, however, say Democrats are trying to break a two-year budget deal by including restrictions on Trump’s ability to shift money to the wall in the spending bills.

“We’re stalled. We’re stalled because the agreement that we all reached in the summer has not been honored by the other side,” said Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.).

Lawmakers have three options if they’re going to avoid a shutdown days before the Christmas holiday: Get a deal on the 12 fiscal 2020 bills, pass another stopgap bill, or some combination of both.

Trump could sign another CR that funds the government at current levels for another 30 days, but due to the toxic political climate in D.C., who knows?

In my opinion, Democrats had a disastrous day yesterday in Nadler's Committee. While all they have been focused on is Impeachment (and not their actual job, like passing spending bills), they may seen an opportunity to goad the President into a shutdown as a way to score political points. The media will yet again parrot the "Trump Shutdown" lie, and polls (yeah, I know, but politicians read them) consistently show Americans hate these shenanigans, and the Low Info Voters will blame the President).

If no CR is signed, and the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) is not signed, the military will be in emergency mode. No pay for the military or DoD civilians, and Congress would have to pass a statement for the DoD to operate even during a shutdown (as they have done for previous shutdowns).

The last (partial because some agencies were funded) shutdown was the longest in U.S. history, and in the end, the President got a little more than $1 Billion for the wall, and then reprogrammed other funds.

This is an issue to watch, and I am not sure how it will play out. I guarantee you that in D.C., they are going bonkers about this.

[fruser1]

How much funding are they providing for impeachment?

[knarf]

[butlerweave]

It’s going to take Nancy a week to sober up ,they better hope she doesn’t find her hidden bottles

[JohnBrowdie]

they wouldn’t have to race if they hadn’t been obsessively finger banging themselves on impeachment since freaking july.

[SkyPilot]

Whatever their Impeachment charade costs, it will be funded. Congressional pay and certain functions of Congress are exempt from shutdowns. How convenient?

Last year, the President (through Pence) signaled that he would sign a CR before Christmas. But then Conservatives (and that includes many here) howled because the Wall funding had been abandoned. In my opinion, we were correct to be outraged. Ryan had betrayed us again, and again.

What they may agree to is a CR that lasts through Impeachment, until February or something.

Pelosi lost her mind yesterday.

She stated she was rushing through Impeachment, and the hapless Nadler asked Doug Collins (R) for a witness list for next week!

Nadler and Pelosi are apparently not even talking to each other.

Pelosi wants this dead bird of Impeachment voted on and sent to the Senate quickly. She wants this albatross off her neck.

Trump wants to call her and Schiff as a witnesses, but I am not sure that Justice Roberts would allow that under the Speech or Debate Clause for Congress (they have immunity except for Treason or Felony).

Trump could play his hand to shut down the government to show what dweebs the Democrats are (i.e. not doing their jobs at all).

What happens to the military, to air traffic controllers, law enforcement, and other more vital functions of government? Well, they go to work unpaid. But it's more likely that a shutdown would hurt Trump politically more than Democrats. It's just they way it is.

This fiasco (and it is) is but another card in the poker deck.

[dp0622]

“We had hoped the president had learned his lesson...”

Why don’t you go #### yourself schmucker, you liberal manhattan POS

[SkyPilot]

It’s going to take Nancy a week to sober up ,they better hope she doesn’t find her hidden bottles

She looked terrible yesterday. He eyebrows were drawn in via Sharpie, and she sounded drunk.

[cgbg]

She stated she was rushing through Impeachment, and the hapless Nadler asked Doug Collins (R) for a witness list for next week!

Footnote to future impeachment referral:

"We were going to call the following witnesses, but the Speaker wouldn't let us...."

:-)

[JohnBrowdie]

wrong.post.idiot.

[SkyPilot]

they wouldn’t have to race if they hadn’t been obsessively finger banging themselves on impeachment since freaking july.

Correct. Since the Democrats took the House, they have done exactly NOTHING.

Impeachment is all they have. The raw meat to psychopaths that are their voting base.

[SkyPilot]

We're not angry with you....just.....disappointed.

[zeugma]

Sadly, the only thing that congress is required to do, is pass spending bills that fund the various government agencies. They can't even pass a single regular funding bill. Trump should be all over this.

[SkyPilot]

You’re correct. I think he wants to be more vocal about their lack of progress doing their jobs. According to several DC sources, there are behind the scenes negotiations taking place as we speak, and Trump is a master negotiator. He probably doesn’t want to poison the well so much that the Democrats won’t even send him any spending bills. But if they try and remove his ability to use DoD funds for the wall, I would expect the President to let them have it with both barrels.

[Singermom]

I hope it happens soon. I can’t wait to have all of the Dem Senate candidates running for Pres to HAVE to stay in DC during Dec and Jan and hopefully Feb. It will really burn them that they cannot campaign for office and need to stay in DC. THAT will be a hoot.

[bk1000]

If they hadn’t spent so much time throwing a temper tantrum this would not be an issue. Leave it to Schumer to blame the President. Eat a dick, Chuckie.

[MrEdd]

I am guessing that there is not going to be anymore, and Republicans will be suggesting that they should have done it if they were going to before they wasted so much money nd three years accomplishing nothing.

[ding_dong_daddy_from_dumas]

But it's more likely that a shutdown would hurt Trump politically more than Democrats.

And how did Clinton win his shutdown battle with congress?

[Logical me]

While Schumer's brain is so damn polluted with communists points he is totally worthless as an American.

[dp0622]

So you LIKE SCHUMER?!!?!??!

then you’re on the wrong ####ing board and DU and KOS are down the hall.

Or did you NOT even read the article and figure out that was schumer’s quote and i called him schmucker

are you that old or that dense?

happy new year