Republicans and Democrats schedule competing
votes for Thursday
Republicans will table a vote to reopen
government and fund president Donald Trump’s
wall. Photograph: Mandel/AFP/Getty Images
Updated: about 14 hours ago
The US senate has scheduled votes on Thursday
on competing proposals by Republicans and
Democrats that would reopen an array of federal
agencies that have been partially shuttered since
December 22nd.
However, it is not clear if either measure can
pass.
One vote would be on a plan by president Donald
Trump to reopen the agencies and provide $
5.7billion (€5 billion) this year to help build a
southwest border wall, which is opposed by
Democrats who are needed for passage.
The second measure, by Democrats, would fund
the various agencies until February 8th but allows
nothing for Trump’s wall; it will test Republican
resolve to stand by the president.
The plan, a compromise between senator Mitch
McConnell, the majority leader, and senator Chuck
Schumer, the Democratic leader, offers the first
hint of a path out of the partial shutdown, which
is now in its fifth week and has left 800,000
federal workers without pay.
The two announced the deal on Tuesday
afternoon on the Senate floor.
“People are saying isn’t there a way out of this
mess? Isn’t there a way to relieve the burden on
the 800,000 federal workers not getting paid?
Isn’t there a way to get government services open
first, and debate what we should do for border
security later?†Mr Schumer said. “Well, now
there’s a way.â€
The agreement to proceed with votes marks the
first attempt at finding a path out of the
shutdown, but Mr Trump has threatened to veto
any measure that doesn’t fully fund his wall.
Democrats likely have the votes to block Mr
Trump’s bill and the Democratic proposal would
need to win support of 13 Republicans along with
every Democrat.
Don Stewart, a spokesman for Senate Majority
Leader Mitch McConnell, said the deal allows
both sides to offer alternatives and there is no
change in Mr Trump’s opposition to a short-term
reopening of the government as proposed by
Democrats.
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Along with the wall funding, Trump’s proposal is
running into opposition from Democrats over new
asylum limits for Central American minors.
The Democratic proposal has already been
approved in the House, and some
Senate Republicans, including Lamar Alexander of
Tennessee and Lindsey Graham of South Carolina,
have been pressing for action that would end the
shutdown which is now in its 32nd day, at least
temporarily.
But the White House has said Mr Trump wouldn’t
sign the legislation.
The Trump bill includes a provision to ban
nationals of El Salvador, Guatemala or Honduras,
who are under 18 years of age, from eligibility for
asylum unless they submit applications at a
processing centre in Central America.
That means they cannot apply in the US if they
flee their home countries due to gang violence, as
many have done.
As an olive branch to Democrats, the bill also
includes provisional three-year work permits for
young undocumented people currently enrolled in
the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals
programme (DACA), and those who have
Temporary Protected Status.
Mr Trump has sought to end both programmes.
However, the new legislation would only apply the
DACA extension to those young immigrants
currently receiving protections, and not those who
might be eligible to qualify, as would be allowed
under a previous bipartisan proposal called the
Bridge Act.
The new legislation would leave out hundreds of
thousands of undocumented immigrants brought
to the US as children. – Agencies
Source:
www.irishtimes.com/news/world/us/us-senate-leaders-agree-on-deal-that-could-reopen-government-1.3767236?mode=amp
