7 Republicans join Dems to block major government funding package as shutdown looms
What's the endgame here?
Senate Democrats stayed true to their threat by blocking a behemoth funding package, but in a surprising turn of events, they were joined by several Senate Republicans to derail the legislation.
Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., and his caucus made it no secret that they would obstruct the government funding process over the last several days, demanding that Republicans strip the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) funding bill from the six-bill package.
But the defection of seven GOP lawmakers, including Sens. Ted Budd, R-N.C., Ron Johnson, R-Wis., Mike Lee, R- Utah, Ashley Moody, R-Fl., Rand Paul, R-Ky., Rick Scott, R-Fl., Tommy Tuberville, R-Ala., was an unexpected development on Thursday.
Senate Democrats are willing to support the five other bills in the package, however, and have reiterated that bundle would easily pass if given the chance.
SENATE REPUBLICANS WEIGH DEM DEMAND TO SPLIT DHS BILL, TURN TO SHORT-TERM EXTENSION TO AVOID SHUTDOWN
"Democrats are ready to avert a shutdown," said Sen. Patty Murray, D-Wash., the top Democrat on the Senate Appropriations Committee.
"We have five bills we all agree on. About 95% of the remaining budget. It is ready to go," she continued. "We can pass those five bills, no problem. All Leader Thune has to do is tee them up for a vote."
But Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., sought to call their bluff and barreled forward with the key test vote, which would have opened up several hours of debate and eventually a final vote to send the package to President Donald Trump's desk.
Ahead of the vote, Thune said that he hoped that conversations between the White House and Senate Democrats would produce the "the votes that are necessary to get it passed."
Thune threw cold water on Senate Democrats' several demands for reforms to Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) would make their way into the current package, too.
"That's not going to happen in this bill, but there are, I mean, there's a path to consider some of those things and negotiate that out between Republicans, Democrats, House, Senate, White House," Thune said. "But that's not gonna happen in this bill."
With the six-bill package, which included major funding bills for the Pentagon and other agencies, now scuttled, Senate Republicans and the White House are looking for a plan B to keep the government open or to at least minimize the damage from a partial shutdown.
SCHUMER ROLLS OUT LIST OF ICE DEMANDS AS WHITE HOUSE SAYS DEMS 'BLOCKED' DEAL-MAKING SESSION
One option gaining momentum among Republicans would be to strip the DHS …
What's the endgame here?
Senate Democrats stayed true to their threat by blocking a behemoth funding package, but in a surprising turn of events, they were joined by several Senate Republicans to derail the legislation.
Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., and his caucus made it no secret that they would obstruct the government funding process over the last several days, demanding that Republicans strip the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) funding bill from the six-bill package.
But the defection of seven GOP lawmakers, including Sens. Ted Budd, R-N.C., Ron Johnson, R-Wis., Mike Lee, R- Utah, Ashley Moody, R-Fl., Rand Paul, R-Ky., Rick Scott, R-Fl., Tommy Tuberville, R-Ala., was an unexpected development on Thursday.
Senate Democrats are willing to support the five other bills in the package, however, and have reiterated that bundle would easily pass if given the chance.
SENATE REPUBLICANS WEIGH DEM DEMAND TO SPLIT DHS BILL, TURN TO SHORT-TERM EXTENSION TO AVOID SHUTDOWN
"Democrats are ready to avert a shutdown," said Sen. Patty Murray, D-Wash., the top Democrat on the Senate Appropriations Committee.
"We have five bills we all agree on. About 95% of the remaining budget. It is ready to go," she continued. "We can pass those five bills, no problem. All Leader Thune has to do is tee them up for a vote."
But Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., sought to call their bluff and barreled forward with the key test vote, which would have opened up several hours of debate and eventually a final vote to send the package to President Donald Trump's desk.
Ahead of the vote, Thune said that he hoped that conversations between the White House and Senate Democrats would produce the "the votes that are necessary to get it passed."
Thune threw cold water on Senate Democrats' several demands for reforms to Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) would make their way into the current package, too.
"That's not going to happen in this bill, but there are, I mean, there's a path to consider some of those things and negotiate that out between Republicans, Democrats, House, Senate, White House," Thune said. "But that's not gonna happen in this bill."
With the six-bill package, which included major funding bills for the Pentagon and other agencies, now scuttled, Senate Republicans and the White House are looking for a plan B to keep the government open or to at least minimize the damage from a partial shutdown.
SCHUMER ROLLS OUT LIST OF ICE DEMANDS AS WHITE HOUSE SAYS DEMS 'BLOCKED' DEAL-MAKING SESSION
One option gaining momentum among Republicans would be to strip the DHS …
7 Republicans join Dems to block major government funding package as shutdown looms
What's the endgame here?
Senate Democrats stayed true to their threat by blocking a behemoth funding package, but in a surprising turn of events, they were joined by several Senate Republicans to derail the legislation.
Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., and his caucus made it no secret that they would obstruct the government funding process over the last several days, demanding that Republicans strip the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) funding bill from the six-bill package.
But the defection of seven GOP lawmakers, including Sens. Ted Budd, R-N.C., Ron Johnson, R-Wis., Mike Lee, R- Utah, Ashley Moody, R-Fl., Rand Paul, R-Ky., Rick Scott, R-Fl., Tommy Tuberville, R-Ala., was an unexpected development on Thursday.
Senate Democrats are willing to support the five other bills in the package, however, and have reiterated that bundle would easily pass if given the chance.
SENATE REPUBLICANS WEIGH DEM DEMAND TO SPLIT DHS BILL, TURN TO SHORT-TERM EXTENSION TO AVOID SHUTDOWN
"Democrats are ready to avert a shutdown," said Sen. Patty Murray, D-Wash., the top Democrat on the Senate Appropriations Committee.
"We have five bills we all agree on. About 95% of the remaining budget. It is ready to go," she continued. "We can pass those five bills, no problem. All Leader Thune has to do is tee them up for a vote."
But Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., sought to call their bluff and barreled forward with the key test vote, which would have opened up several hours of debate and eventually a final vote to send the package to President Donald Trump's desk.
Ahead of the vote, Thune said that he hoped that conversations between the White House and Senate Democrats would produce the "the votes that are necessary to get it passed."
Thune threw cold water on Senate Democrats' several demands for reforms to Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) would make their way into the current package, too.
"That's not going to happen in this bill, but there are, I mean, there's a path to consider some of those things and negotiate that out between Republicans, Democrats, House, Senate, White House," Thune said. "But that's not gonna happen in this bill."
With the six-bill package, which included major funding bills for the Pentagon and other agencies, now scuttled, Senate Republicans and the White House are looking for a plan B to keep the government open or to at least minimize the damage from a partial shutdown.
SCHUMER ROLLS OUT LIST OF ICE DEMANDS AS WHITE HOUSE SAYS DEMS 'BLOCKED' DEAL-MAKING SESSION
One option gaining momentum among Republicans would be to strip the DHS …
