WASHINGTON – Senate Democrats late Thursday blocked a quick vote on a short-term spending bill to keep the government open, roiling Washington with brinkmanship less than 30 hours before a midnight Friday deadline for a shutdown and President Donald Trump’s 100th day in office.
Majority Leader Mitch McConnell pressed for an agreement on the short-term legislation that will carry through next week, giving lawmakers more time to complete negotiations on a $1 trillion government-wide spending bill for the remainder of the 2017 budget year.
Democratic leader Chuck Schumer insisted that any vote only occur when Republicans abandon efforts to add provisions on abortion, financial regulations and the environment to the legislation.
“Our position has been clear and it’s nothing news. No poison-pill riders,” Schumer said.
The House is scheduled to vote on the one-week extension on Friday morning and the Senate could still vote ahead of the deadline.
Sen. Rand Paul, Republican from Kentucky, said he’s “perpetually disappointed Congress does not pass individual appropriation bills,” and called the process “an abysmal failure.”
In addition to the inability to come up with a spending deal that could pass ahead of Trump’s 100-day mark, the House GOP looked unlikely to give Trump a victory on health care before then. A revised health care bill has won the support of the hard-right House Freedom Caucus, holdouts on an earlier version that collapsed last month, but GOP leaders were struggling to round up votes from moderate-leaning Republicans.
“I don’t know if it’s bringing anyone over,” said Rep. Chris Smith, Republican from New Jersey, who said he had been lobbied by leadership but still opposed the legislation because it undoes an expansion of Medicaid under President Barack Obama’s Affordable Care Act. “There’s much of ‘Obamacare’ that has to be fixed. That part of it is critical,” Smith said.
Trump himself unleashed a tweetstorm of criticism of Democrats involved in negotiations on the spending bill, accusing them of trying to close national parks and jeopardize the safety of U.S. troops.
“As families prepare for summer vacations in our National Parks – Democrats threaten to close them and shut down the government. Terrible!” Trump tweeted.
“Democrats jeopardizing the safety of our troops to bail out their donors from insurance companies. It is time to put #AmericaFirst,” he wrote.
Democrats jeopardizing the safety of our troops to bail out their donors from insurance companies. It is time to put #AmericaFirst🇺🇸
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) April 27, 2017
Democrats used to support border security — now they want illegals to pour through our borders.
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) April 27, 2017
As families prepare for summer vacations in our National Parks – Democrats threaten to close them and shut down the government. Terrible!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) April 27, 2017
Democrats dismissed such accusations.
“We are never going to shut government down. In fact, we don’t even have the power to do so,” said House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi, Democrat from California. Referring to Republicans, she said: “They have the majority. They have the president. They have the Senate. They have the House. Any shutting down of government, the ball is in their court.”
Nonetheless, leaders in both parties projected certainty that a deal would ultimately be reached on the spending legislation, which covers all government agencies and is leftover business from last year.
“Talks on government funding legislation have continued throughout the week on a bipartisan, bicameral basis,” said McConnell, Republican from Kyentucky, adding that the short-term extension will allow time for a final agreement to be completed and voted on next week.
The talks involving congressional Republicans and Democrats had progressed relatively smoothly after the White House earlier this week backed off a threat to withhold payments that help lower-income Americans pay their medical bills and Trump dropped a demand for money for the border wall.
After the U.S.-Mexico wall issue and the Obamacare controversy were addressed, negotiators turned to a lengthy roster of unfinished issues, many of which involve extraneous policy “riders” on the environment and financial services regulations.
Negotiations continued throughout Thursday toward an agreement that might not be revealed until early next week.
“Now we’re making progress — we’re not there yet,” said Schumer, Democrat from New York. “I think there’s been a real desire. I give leader McConnell credit. I think he had a real desire to get this done. And unfortunately the president stood in the way for quite a long time. So that’s why we’re a little delayed.”
A new wrinkle emerged as Maryland Rep. Steny Hoyer, the second-ranking Democrat in the House, threatened to withhold votes for the short-term spending bill if Republicans tried to push for a vote this week on a revived health care repeal.
“If Republicans announce their intention to bring their harmful ‘TrumpCare’ bill to the House Floor tomorrow or Saturday, I will oppose a one-week continuing resolution and will advise House Democrats to oppose it as well,” Hoyer said in a statement.
However, such fast action on the part of House Republicans looked more improbable by the hour Thursday as GOP leaders failed to pick up new votes from moderates.
Speaker Paul Ryan, Republican from Wisconsin, offered no timing for a health care vote, telling reporters on Thursday, “We want to go when we’re ready to go.”
ERICA WERNER
