Senate Rejects White House-Backed Bill To End Shutdown

The U.S. Senate has blocked legislation that incorporates President Trump’s proposal to fully open the government and includes his demand for $5.7 billion to help build a border wall.

While Sen. Joe Manchin (D-WV) joined Republicans to advance the measure, it failed by a margin of 50-47, far short of the 60 votes needed to defeat a filibuster. 

GOP Senators Mike Lee (Utah) and Tom Cotton (Arkansas) surprisingly voted against Trump’s plan. Lee is considered a fiscal hawk, while Cotton is considered one of the Senate’s most conservative members when it comes to immigraiton. 

Senate Republicans also blocked a stopgap measure to end the partial shjutdown, voting 52-44 on the legislation, also short of the 60 votes needed to defeat a filibuster.

GOP Sens. Lamar Alexander (Tenn.), Susan Collins (Maine), Cory Gardner(Colo.), Johnny Isakson (Ga.), Lisa Murkowski (Alaska) and Mitt Romney(Nev.) broke rank and voted to advance the stopgap bill, which would have reopened the quarter of the government currently shuttered and funded it through Feb. 8.

The vote came after the Senate also rejected a White House-backed proposal on Thursday that would have exchanged reopening the government for $5.7 billion for the wall. It would have allowed Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) recipients and some Temporary Protected Status (TPS) holders to apply for a three-year extension of some legal protections, but included new restrictions on asylum seekers. –The Hill

The two failed votes in the Senate all but guarantees that the partial government shutdown will stretch into next week, while more than 800,000 federal workers will miss their second paycheck on Friday. 

Last month the Senate passed a continuing resolution (CR) that would have prevented the partial shutdown and funded operations until February 8, however it was ill fated after President Trump said that he would not sign any legislation that did not include $5.7 billion for his border wall. 

Developing…

via ZeroHedge News http://bit.ly/2RSogIo Tyler Durden

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