The federal government shutdown is popping into “Groundhog Day” for senators as they develop more and more annoyed with the shortage of motion towards a deal and repeated failed votes.
The Senate on Monday voted on the GOP’s “clean” stopgap funding invoice and on a Democratic different, with each once more failing to advance. Absent a considerable change in posture on both aspect, the higher chamber is anticipated to vote on the identical persevering with resolutions (CR) on Tuesday and Thursday.
Including to the monotony and deepening the stalemate, the repeated votes are happening whilst no high-level negotiations are happening and talks amongst rank-and-file lawmakers seem to have petered out.
“It’s unfortunate. I wish we were making more progress,” stated Sen. Mike Rounds (R-S.D.), who was a part of casual talks with Democrats in latest days which have made little headway. “It takes our Democrat colleagues to actually want to get in the middle of it too.”
The higher chamber returned for the vote on Monday after taking the weekend off, however little modified within the interim. No different members of the Democratic caucus joined Sens. Catherine Cortez (D-Nev.), Angus King (I-Maine) and John Fetterman (D-Pa.) — who’ve supported the measure on every vote because the shutdown began — in voting to advance the GOP’s Home-passed funding invoice. As an alternative, either side remained hunkered down and neither indicated a willingness to budge.
Senate Majority Chief John Thune (R-S.D.) has been adamant that he has little motive to satisfy with Senate Minority Chief Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.), insisting he has nothing to barter in a “clean” invoice and repeatedly noting that Democrats have voted for such CRs greater than a dozen occasions lately.
He informed reporters that he’ll solely meet with Schumer “if it’s useful.”
The GOP chief additionally stated that he plans to proceed holding votes on the identical payments — the “clean” invoice and the Democratic blueprint — within the coming days, an indication the get together is just not backing away from its technique.
“We’re still where we are,” Thune stated, including that he didn’t discuss to the New York Democrat over the weekend. “I’m not sure what it is at this point they want to negotiate.”
“I think we’ve made it very clear that we want an appropriations process, we want to get this thing moving again. And hopefully at some point that becomes enough of a priority for some of his members that they’ll find a way to get to ‘yes,’” he continued. “But it sounds like they’re still stuck at the moment.”
Schumer, in the meantime, has labored all through the shutdown to maintain the remaining Democrats united and insisted that his aspect’s struggle on behalf of the expiring enhanced healthcare credit underneath the Inexpensive Care Act (ACA) is the successful message because the shutdown drags on.
“After five failed votes, it should be clear to Republicans that we cannot go forward unless they sit down and seriously negotiate with Democrats to address the health care crisis. It’s that simple,” Schumer informed reporters after the vote.
Including one other layer to the struggle are rising polls. A CBS Information ballot unveiled on Sunday confirmed that 39 p.c of Individuals blamed President Trump and Republicans for the shutdown whereas 30 p.c blame Democrats. That adopted a Washington Publish ballot launched final week that discovered 47 p.c of Individuals blamed Trump and Republicans whereas 30 p.c blamed Democrats. Each polls, nonetheless, confirmed sizable numbers of people that both blamed each events for the deadlock or stated they weren’t positive.
Put merely, neither aspect has a commanding benefit within the blame sport, leaving them little motive to provide in at this level.
“I don’t think anybody’s winning,” Sen. Shelly Moore Capito (R-W.Va.) stated, pointing to latest surveys indicating “equal blame.”
“It just leads to more corrosion of trust —- that’s what I’m worried about,” Capito stated. “We can’t function, and that’s difficult for everyday Americans when they’re trying to live their lives.”
Democrats are hoping to flip the script, although, and they’re hoping to get a lift from Trump to shake up the state of play.
Thune and Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) have largely managed the narrative, serving as a brick wall to Democrats who’ve been itching for Trump to return to the desk.
“He’s the decider in the Republican Party right now,” Sen. Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.) stated. “It’s important he be engaged. … We also know at the end of the day, they’ll do what President Trump tells them to do.”
Trump on Monday indicated to reporters that he was prepared to make a cope with Democrats on the expiring ACA credit, which have been on the coronary heart of the minority get together’s argument.
“We have a negotiation going on right now with the Democrats that could lead to very good things. And I’m talking about good things with regard to health care,” Trump stated within the Oval Workplace.
Democratic congressional leaders instantly retorted that such talks will not be occurring in the mean time, although they might welcome them.
“Trump’s claim isn’t true — but if he’s finally ready to work with Democrats, we’ll be at the table,” Schumer stated. “If President Trump and Republicans are finally ready to sit down and get something done on healthcare for American families, Democrats will be there — ready to make it happen.”
A couple of hours later, Trump himself appeared to stroll again his feedback, writing on Fact Social that he’s “happy to work with the Democrats on their Failed Healthcare Policies, or anything else, but first they must allow our Government to re-open. In fact, they should open our Government tonight!”
Creating one other headache within the struggle is that the ballgame is nearly fully within the Senate’s arms because the Home stays out of city this week.
Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) canceled votes this week and indicated on Monday that Home members will stay of their district till senators strike a deal.
“I am anxious to get my of us again,” Johnson informed reporters on Monday. “I want to bring the House back into session and get back to work, but we can’t do it until they turn the lights back on. We need Chuck Schumer to reopen the government, and as soon as he does that, we’ll bring everybody back.”
The lack to finish the shutdown may additionally end in a change in schedule for senators, who’re slated to be on recess subsequent week. Thune indicated that he has not but determined whether or not to cancel it.
