Government shuts down as senators debate possible solutions
WASHINGTON- As of midnight the Senate has yet to reach an agreement on a spending bill to keep the government open.
The upper chamber in a 50-48 vote defeated a procedural motion to cut off debate on legislation that would maintain funding through Feb. 16, 2018.
Sixty votes were needed for passage.
Five Republicans voted no. Five Democrats voted for yes.
Earlier in the day it seemed possible that lawmakers might have been able to avoid a government shutdown as reports emerged of an unexpected White House meeting between President Donald Trump and Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) but the meeting did not result in any kind of deal.
Schumer and many Senate Democrats said they would oppose the stop-gap bill because it did not include a DACA fix.
McConnell and Senate Republicans argued that DACA can be addressed in separate legislation prior to the program’s Mar. 5. expiration.
The stop-gap bill would extend the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP) for six years. It also would fund for an upgraded missile defense program and repeal the medical device tax.
The failed procedural vote likely negates the possibility of a final vote on the legislation.
A prolonged government shutdown would have a detrimental impact on millions of employees and contractors. Only essential government employees such members of the military and federal law enforcement personnel would be able to work.
This article is republished with permission from Talk Media News
Bryan is an award-winning political journalist who has extensive experience covering Congress and Maryland state government.
His work includes coverage of the election of Donald Trump, the confirmation hearings of Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh and attorneys general William Barr and Jeff Sessions-as well as that of the Maryland General Assembly, Gov. Larry Hogan, and the COVID-19 pandemic.
Bryan has broken stories involving athletic and sexual assault scandals with the Baltimore Post-Examiner.
His original UMBC investigation gained international attention, was featured in People Magazine and he was interviewed by ABC’s “Good Morning America” and local radio stations. Bryan broke subsequent stories documenting UMBC’s omission of a sexual assault on their daily crime log and a federal investigation related to the university’s handling of an alleged sexual assault.