U.S. Senate to vote on ending government shutdown, Trump wall impasse

[webfact]

U.S. Senate to vote on ending government shutdown, Trump wall impasse

By Richard Cowan and Jeff Mason

 

The U.S. Capitol is pictured on day 32 of a partial government shutdown as becomes the longest in U.S. history in Washington, U.S., January 22, 2019. REUTERS/Carlos Barria

 

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The U.S. Senate shifted slightly closer on Tuesday to resolving a month-long partial government shutdown, but there was no sign of relief anytime soon for 800,000 federal workers who are furloughed or working without pay.

 

Republican Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell laid the groundwork for a vote on Thursday on a Democratic proposal to fund the government for three weeks, without attaching the $5.7 billion in U.S.-Mexico border wall funding demanded by President Donald Trump. The president has opposed similar legislation in the House of Representatives.

 

McConnell had said previously he would not consider a funding bill that Trump would refuse to sign.

 

The Senate leader said he would also bring up for a Thursday vote a proposal by Trump to end the shutdown that includes border wall funding and relief for "Dreamers," people brought illegally to the United States as children. The plan was unlikely to pass in the Senate and had even less chance in the Democratic-led House of Representatives.

 

Democrats have said they would not trade a temporary restoration of the immigrants' protections from deportation in return for a permanent border wall they view as ineffective. In 2017, Trump moved to end the Dreamers' protections, triggering a court battle.

 

But the Senate action could set the stage for the type of bipartisan negotiating that will be necessary to end a shutdown that began on Dec. 22. Americans have largely blamed Trump for the shutdown, now the longest in U.S. history.

 

Affected federal workers are struggling to make ends meet.

 

A Trump administration official said on Tuesday the president still intended to deliver his State of the Union speech on Jan. 29, even though House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, the top U.S. Democrat, had recommended he delay it because of the shutdown.

 

The request seemed likely to set up another clash between Trump and Pelosi, days after Trump abruptly refused to let her use a U.S. military plane to go on an overseas trip hours before she was to depart.

 

Aides to Pelosi did not respond to requests for comment on whether Trump's invitation to speak would stand.

 

BARGAINING CHIP

Trump may have lost the Dreamer issue as his main negotiating point on Tuesday when the U.S. Supreme Court was silent, at least for now, on considering an administration appeal of lower-court rulings allowing continued temporary protections for the immigrant youths.

 

Instead, the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program established by then-President Barack Obama in 2012 lives on with or without approval by Congress.

 

As the Senate debates Trump's proposal, House Democrats this week are pushing legislation that would end the partial shutdown of agencies including the departments of Justice, Homeland Security, Agriculture, Commerce, Labor and Interior.

 

While their legislation would contain new border security money, there would be nothing for a wall, ensuring Trump's opposition.

 

Once the government reopens, Democrats said, they would negotiate with Trump on further border security ideas.

 

"We were optimistic that he might ... open up government so we could have this discussion,” Pelosi told reporters in comments carried by CNN. "But then we heard what the particulars were in it and it was a non-starter, unfortunately.”

 

Representative Jim Clyburn, the No. 3 House Democrat, welcomed any effort by the Republican-led Senate to debate and vote on legislation to reopen the government.

 

"This gets us started," Clyburn told MSNBC in an interview.

 

The shutdown's impact was being felt at the Federal Bureau of Investigation, with the FBI Agents Association saying probes of possible financial crimes, drugs and terrorism were being hindered by a lack of funds.

 

Many federal employees and contractors were turning to unemployment assistance, food banks and other support as the shutdown entered its second month. Others began seeking new jobs.

 

(Reporting by Richard Cowan and Jeff Mason; Additional reporting by Susan Cornwell, Colette Luke and Sarah N. Lynch; Writing by Richard Cowan and Steve Holland; Editing by Bill Trott and Peter Cooney)

 

-- © Copyright Reuters 2019-01-23

[bristolboy]

As expected, The Supreme Court has refused to take up the issue of Trump's DACA order for this session. So Trump's offer to leave DACA alone for 3 years, as meager as it was, is now virtually worthless.

https://www.voanews.com/a/us-supreme-court-declines-action-on-daca/4754178.html

[Stargeezr]

I am just so glad that I am not a person who is out of work because of this government shut down.

 I guess there are still lots of Trump supporters, but just how many of them are out of work because of Donalds wall plans? Hopefully a lot fewer supporters than there was.

Geezer

[blazes]

Well, if we are to believe the official statistics on employment, the federal workers should face no difficulty in finding new, if temporary, jobs.

 

Of course, it is about time Trump merely declared a danger to national security and got a lot of the workers back on the job that way.

[bristolboy]

3 minutes ago, blazes said:

Well, if we are to believe the official statistics on employment, the federal workers should face no difficulty in finding new, if temporary, jobs.

 

Of course, it is about time Trump merely declared a danger to national security and got a lot of the workers back on the job that way.

I'm sure employers are going to be thrilled to hire workers who by the time they're trained are most likely going to be gone. If anything proves the phoniness of Trump supporters who believe that Trump is on the side of workers, it's statements like yours.

[blazes]

You're calling me a "phony" for my economic views?  I thought ad hominem remarks like that were banned on Thaivisa?

[Kelsall]

Of course the Democrats were all in favor of a wall, until Trump proposed the idea.

 

And if walls are immoral and ineffective, as the Dems say, why don't they support tearing down the existing ones?

 

Because everyone knows we need physical barriers along the southern border to keep out the troublemakers.  These are bad dudes, bad hombres.

 

[bristolboy]

Just now, Kelsall said:

Of course the Democrats were all in favor of a wall, until Trump proposed the idea.

 

And if walls are immoral and ineffective, as the Dems say, why don't they support tearing down the existing ones?

 

Because everyone knows we need physical barriers along the southern border to keep out the troublemakers.  These are bad dudes, bad hombres.

 

As numerous studies show, they are more law abiding on average than native born Americans. And if they're so bad why did homicide rates in the US fall by almost 50% as the illegal immigration population grew rapidly?

[Kelsall]

2 minutes ago, bristolboy said:

As numerous studies show, they are more law abiding on average than native born Americans. And if they're so bad why did homicide rates in the US fall by almost 50% as the illegal immigration population grew rapidly?

Tell that to the families of these victims.  http://www.ojjpac.org/memorial.asp

[bristolboy]

8 minutes ago, Kelsall said:

Tell that to the families of these victims.  http://www.ojjpac.org/memorial.asp

Talk to me after you've acquired a basic knowledge of statistics.

[lvr181]

20 minutes ago, Kelsall said:

Of course the Democrats were all in favor of a wall, until Trump proposed the idea.

 

And if walls are immoral and ineffective, as the Dems say, why don't they support tearing down the existing ones?

 

Because everyone knows we need physical barriers along the southern border to keep out the troublemakers.  These are bad dudes, bad hombres.

 

And the Mexicans are going to pay for it - so why is Trump asking for the money? Did he lie to his voters or just tell them bulls hit so he would be elected?

 

Your turn 'Kelsall'. The floor is yours.

[scorecard]

19 minutes ago, Kelsall said:

Tell that to the families of these victims.  http://www.ojjpac.org/memorial.asp

Diversion.

[Redline]

15 minutes ago, Kelsall said:

Tell that to the families of these victims.  http://www.ojjpac.org/memorial.asp

Trump’s statement that a border wall would cut the nation’s crime rate — and “drug problem” — in half is simply laughable. There is no evidence to suggest that is the case. Most undocumented immigrants do not illegally cross the southern border, undocumented immigrants do not commit crimes at a rate higher than U.S. citizens, and drugs flow through the border mostly through legal crossing points.

 

How about all of the American white boys that gun down innocent people, including women and children in all of the ever increasing mass shootings?  What about victims of drunk drivers?  What is your point really?  There is crime in the USA, and the world.  RIP death is inevitable.  Do you fly on planes ????

[Kelsall]

The Dems are starting to cave.  Trump will get the wall. 

 

https://kfgo.com/news/articles/2019/jan/22/peterson-says-democrats-should-give-trump-the-money-for-border-wall/

[scorecard]

26 minutes ago, Kelsall said:

Of course the Democrats were all in favor of a wall, until Trump proposed the idea.

 

And if walls are immoral and ineffective, as the Dems say, why don't they support tearing down the existing ones?

 

Because everyone knows we need physical barriers along the southern border to keep out the troublemakers.  These are bad dudes, bad hombres.

 

 So can you explain how the multi billion dollar wall will successfully stop people crossing th border.

 

Did you ever think about the several alternative routes?

[scorecard]

2 minutes ago, Kelsall said:

The Dems are starting to cave.  Trump will get wall. 

 

https://kfgo.com/news/articles/2019/jan/22/peterson-says-democrats-should-give-trump-the-money-for-border-wall/

The article you supplied doesn't indicate that at all, further did you read the whole article.

 

Further is there not a case to say anything, regardless of party, is OK if it gets struggling families back to a wage packet?

 

 

[scorecard]

8 minutes ago, scorecard said:

The article you supplied doesn't indicate that at all, further did you read the whole article.

 

Further is there not a case to say anything, regardless of party, is OK if it gets struggling families back to a wage packet?

 

 

So you respond with a 'laughing' icon.

So I guess you think families without income is not serious.

[bristolboy]

17 minutes ago, Kelsall said:

The Dems are starting to cave.  Trump will get the wall. 

 

https://kfgo.com/news/articles/2019/jan/22/peterson-says-democrats-should-give-trump-the-money-for-border-wall/

Given how Trump's approval ratings have fallen since the start of this, I don't think that the Dems are the ones feeling the pressure.

[Kelsall]

9 minutes ago, scorecard said:

So you respond with a 'laughing' icon.

So I guess you think families without income is not serious.

They're eligible for no credit check interest free loans and you know it.  Here's just one example.  Oh, the drama, LOL

https://www.navyfederal.org/about/government-shutdown.php

[bristolboy]

3 minutes ago, Kelsall said:

They're eligible for no credit check interest free loans and you know it.  Here's just one example.  Oh, the drama, LOL

https://www.navyfederal.org/about/government-shutdown.php

If you're already a member. Might be a few of those government employees who don't have accounts at navy federal.

[scorecard]

6 minutes ago, Kelsall said:

They're eligible for no credit check interest free loans and you know it.  Here's just one example.  Oh, the drama, LOL

https://www.navyfederal.org/about/government-shutdown.php

Why should they have to go through processes like that? 

[heybruce]

4 hours ago, Kelsall said:

Of course the Democrats were all in favor of a wall, until Trump proposed the idea.

 

And if walls are immoral and ineffective, as the Dems say, why don't they support tearing down the existing ones?

 

Because everyone knows we need physical barriers along the southern border to keep out the troublemakers.  These are bad dudes, bad hombres.

 

The Democrats want to discuss how to fund proper border security before building walls.  The Republicans want to build a wall then (maybe) discuss border security.  It's the difference between "Ready, aim, fire" and "Ready, fire, aim".

[JHolmesJr]

I have to ask a question about these 800K federal workers.

R they paid chickenshit wages? If not, how come they don't have any money to survive after missing just 2 pay checks?

Don't they save money to tide them over in emergencies....this is a national emergency.

 

Most financial planners tell us to have at least 6 months wages saved up....looks like these workers spend every cent they have and without a job they'd be finished.

 

 

[Credo]

33 minutes ago, JHolmesJr said:

I have to ask a question about these 800K federal workers.

R they paid chickenshit wages? If not, how come they don't have any money to survive after missing just 2 pay checks?

Don't they save money to tide them over in emergencies....this is a national emergency.

 

Most financial planners tell us to have at least 6 months wages saved up....looks like these workers spend every cent they have and without a job they'd be finished.

 

 

Many are not in a financial position to save money and not all are highly paid.   You might want to read some of the stories....like the guy who has stage 4 cancer, but with the gov't shutdown, his insurance papers weren't processed for his cancer treatment....or the couple (both employed by the gov't), who just bought a house and can't make the first payment on the loan...or the family that just had a baby, so 1 income and can't pay the expenses, including some medical..... or the people who just recently started working.....etc., etc., etc.,   

 

This is not to mention the people that work in the law enforcement branches who must pass a rigorous financial screening to make sure they are not sitting targets for bribery.   Missed car payments, missed mortgage payments, etc., get sent to the credit rating agencies.   

 

Many of them, from TSA to IRS to Coast Guard, FBI and Secret Service are required to continuing to work without pay.   The option of getting a 2nd job is pretty much a nonstarter for them.   

 

[blazes]

6 hours ago, bristolboy said:

Given how Trump's approval ratings have fallen since the start of this, I don't think that the Dems are the ones feeling the pressure.

Which polls are you referencing, Squire?

 

As far as I can see from this poll of polls, Trump's approval/disapproval rating remains almost static, give or take one or two percent, throughout his presidency and in comparison with other presidents at the same stage.  

https://projects.fivethirtyeight.com/trump-approval-ratings/

 

[Interesting to see (just by the way) how Dubya's polling shot up  for a (very) short while after the 9/11 disaster!]

[Credo]

2 hours ago, blazes said:

Which polls are you referencing, Squire?

 

As far as I can see from this poll of polls, Trump's approval/disapproval rating remains almost static, give or take one or two percent, throughout his presidency and in comparison with other presidents at the same stage.  

https://projects.fivethirtyeight.com/trump-approval-ratings/

 

[Interesting to see (just by the way) how Dubya's polling shot up  for a (very) short while after the 9/11 disaster!]

Well, here's another poll:

Poll: Shutdown, Russia drive Trump to all-time high disapproval

 

 

President Donald Trump's disapproval rating is at an all-time high amid a historically long partial government shutdown and concerns about the president's relationship with Russian President Vladimir Putin, according to a new POLITICO/Morning Consult poll.

 

Nearly 6-in-10 voters — 57 percent — disapprove of Trump's job performance, compared to the 40 percent that approve. In addition, 54 percent of voters blame Trump and Republicans on Capitol Hill for the government shutdown. Only 35 percent blame congressional Democrats.

 

There has been no progress on negotiations between Republican and Democratic leaders, as well as the president, to end the government shutdown — the longest partial government shutdown in history.

 

https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/politics/poll-shutdown-russia-drive-trump-to-all-time-high-disapproval/ar-BBSCIep?ocid=ob-fb-enus-280&fbclid=IwAR2YZCcLGiPDY1mBfay7qXNj_7gvW4w7JA75BlCu1CQ-xEn7uLWmQ4JCnzU

 

[blazes]

30 minutes ago, Credo said:

Well, here's another poll:

Poll: Shutdown, Russia drive Trump to all-time high disapproval

 

 

President Donald Trump's disapproval rating is at an all-time high amid a historically long partial government shutdown and concerns about the president's relationship with Russian President Vladimir Putin, according to a new POLITICO/Morning Consult poll.

 

Nearly 6-in-10 voters — 57 percent — disapprove of Trump's job performance, compared to the 40 percent that approve. In addition, 54 percent of voters blame Trump and Republicans on Capitol Hill for the government shutdown. Only 35 percent blame congressional Democrats.

There has been no progress on negotiations between Republican and Democratic leaders, as well as the president, to end the government shutdown — the longest partial government shutdown in history.

 

https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/politics/poll-shutdown-russia-drive-trump-to-all-time-high-disapproval/ar-BBSCIep?ocid=ob-fb-enus-280&fbclid=IwAR2YZCcLGiPDY1mBfay7qXNj_7gvW4w7JA75BlCu1CQ-xEn7uLWmQ4JCnzU

 

 

Credo, I believe you.  But I believe that the figures you arrow in my direction are precisely the same as those I was using myself, give or take small variations.  In other words, Trump's disapproval rate has scarcely moved during the whole course of his presidency so far (again, give or take....)

[Chomper Higgot]

5 hours ago, JHolmesJr said:

I have to ask a question about these 800K federal workers.

R they paid chickenshit wages? If not, how come they don't have any money to survive after missing just 2 pay checks?

Don't they save money to tide them over in emergencies....this is a national emergency.

 

Most financial planners tell us to have at least 6 months wages saved up....looks like these workers spend every cent they have and without a job they'd be finished.

 

 

 

You seem to be out of touch with the reality facing most Americans:

 

https://money.cnn.com/2017/01/12/pf/americans-lack-of-savings/index.html

[samran]

6 hours ago, JHolmesJr said:

I have to ask a question about these 800K federal workers.

R they paid chickenshit wages? If not, how come they don't have any money to survive after missing just 2 pay checks?

Don't they save money to tide them over in emergencies....this is a national emergency.

 

Most financial planners tell us to have at least 6 months wages saved up....looks like these workers spend every cent they have and without a job they'd be finished.

 

 

I know, right? 

 

How stupid are they not just to ask their rich daddies, or dip into their inheritance trust funds? Silly people. 

[samran]

11 hours ago, Kelsall said:

Of course the Democrats were all in favor of a wall, until Trump proposed the idea.

 

And if walls are immoral and ineffective, as the Dems say, why don't they support tearing down the existing ones?

 

Because everyone knows we need physical barriers along the southern border to keep out the troublemakers.  These are bad dudes, bad hombres.

 

This is the wall that Mexico is going to pay for, right?