I hope part of the shutdown is that Trump is laid off.
Can we "chip" in to send him a pink slip?
10
The real victim here is trump, who should by rights be lavishing himself and his personal bank accounts at his private resort on tax-payer money. He's worked his fingers to the bone, on Twitter, and deserves another vacation. It would serve us all right if he defected to Russia, where they know how to treat a tempermental monarch.
7
This thing we're calling "The Trump Era"...will be this nations greatest test. Not whether we can survive Trump per se, but if the basic structure of the Republic can survive past the politicization of every issue, and like this one, the basic running of the governmental institutions. Where every thing no matter how simlle is about trying to make the other team look bad.
This is truly a McConnel Shutdown. This current state of affairs is the result of McConnel and his enablers, always in campaign mode, where its about winning, by making the opposition look evil and unfit. Trouble is when you do that while trying to run things, it makes you and yours look as evil and unfit.
Its one thing to trash talk before a big game...but if thats all youre doing while IN the game, talking trash, and not running the plays, you look like the bigger fool.
Right now the Repubs - McConnel specifically - are the bigger fools.
They could strike the right balance, take the obvious politicized items off the table, and move on, to doing their jobs. But instead McConnel panders to the alleged "Freedom" Caucus (the non legislative viral strain of the GOP) whose aim is much like Trumps, disruption and decline of the Govt as a whole.
This is McConnels shutdown. He's the true obstacle right now. Yes, Trump and his ban of adolescents in the WH, inc. Kelly, are also a problem...but they are nothing compared to McConnels version of governance.
The Dems are to cowardly to point him out.
4
I guess I cannot add to this discussion much, except to say, wow, Sarah Sanders needs to look at herself in the mirror and say, "Who are you? Why are saying this stuff?"
6
So Mr Trump, where are your dealmaking skills now? Surely blaming the Democrats for your failure to make a deal will not fly in the face pf public opinion. Little by little Americans are beginning to see how Emperor Trump has no clothes. (Oh the horror of seeing Trump without clothes is too much to bear!)
7
Trump supporters think we can make America great again if we just deport 800,000 children registered under DACA. Here is an alternative solution: put the names of every American child between the ages of 5 and 18 into a lottery. Draw out 800,000 names. Put those 800,000 kids on a bus to South America. We taxpayers would save a fortune shipping out kids before we educate them rather than the ones we already paid to educate.
2
Thank you, Thank you, Democrats fo growing a spine and standing up to these monsters that tried to use children's lives as bargaining chips.
6
"Make America Great Again"...
What makes America great are the freedoms we enjoy and the men and women who protect those freedoms. Our federal government is broken and Paul Ryan, Mitch McConnell and their ilk must be swept from the halls of congress. Our elected officials, in both houses of congress, and the administration have one concern - remaining in power. Yes there are a few who strive to do what is right for our country while ideologues like Paul Ryan strive to take away health care and the safety nets protecting many Americans.
Pick up a copy of Janesville by Amy Goldstein.
https://www.nytimes.com/2017/04/19/books/review-janesville-amy-goldstein...
2
Brinkmanship is the practice of allowing a diplomatic conflict to become extremely dangerous in order to get what you want. Republicans have shut down the government in their desire to take health care away from children, throw Dreamers out of the country and prevent brown-skinned people from coming in. They are racists who do not care about the health of children and do not deserve to be depicted as courageous diplomats driven by noble causes.
4
Wow, that Don Trump is such an amazing deal maker. Perhaps the greatest deal maker ever! Oh, wait, let's see; there was a bipartisan agreement ready to go until the child in the Oval Office blew up once again. Democrats should hold strong. No wall on the Mexican border. Fund CHIPs. Help the Dreamers! No big increases in military spending.
3
The Big Secret everyone knows is that Trump cannot negotiate at all. Washington has multiple power centers and the very idea that all (or even most) 100 Senators and 435 Congressmen will jump when a president says “jump” is so laughably ignorant that only a petulant child with no concept of how our government works would be surprised when they don’t. Acting as a petty despot in a closely held family corporation in which your primary employees are your children and a handful of long-term sycophantic lackeys, is poor training for the most important job on the planet. Everyone in the world seems to be in on the Big Secret that the insecure, egomaniacal, semi-literate, and emotionally unstable Trump has not only already failed, but has literally no chance of succeeding simply because of who he is.
3
Would the shut down stop the tweeting from Trump?,
If so, I am fine with that..
2
After skimming this article, my overwhelming impression is of immaturity, cattiness, scapegoating and astoundingly lack of professionalism in the behavior and comments of both our elected representatives and staffers such as the White House spokeswoman. These are adults?
1
One man caused this government shutdown and no one has to be like really smart to know who it is.
4
This week we will see the hypocrisy of pro-life politicians' valorization of life in utero but ignoring child and adult necessities such as medical care after birth.
4
I take exception to just one part of this otherwise informative article.
`` ... The government stopped operating at 12:01 a.m. ... ''
Not so. The government stopped operating a year ago with the arrival of the National Embarrassment.
5
Washington: hopeless, hapless, corrupt.
3
Trump's shutdown is just another plank in his pledge to Putin to weaken America every way every day.
3
When a ship collides with another at sea, the commander is at fault, as well as some key crew members. In fact, the US Navy now has the key personnel from two ships set for trial on charges arising out of bad seamanship. We don't blame the galley crew. We don't blame the gunners. In fact, in the US Congress, since the days of Gingrich, when the GOP is in control, they treat Democrats as stowaways. But, hey, why not blame them for the mess that's been eroding efficiency and discipline among the GOP crew since they all went on a RINO hunt in the 1990s? Yes, Republicans in Name Only! God knows what we can call McConnell and his circular firing squad.
3
Donald will crow about this because this is exactly what Bannon would have wanted (the Bannon surrogate is the little nutcase named Miller). Dems must go on a PR initiative in the non-Breitbart media, and make it simple: We had a deal, Trump was shown it, but pulled the rug out. If Repubs weren't hostage to the extremists, they would have sent a bill up to Pres. Stable-Genius, to make him refuse to sign it. But the Repubs seem to no longer exist.
2
The accurate headline would be: GOP Shuts Down Government.
4
Well, many Trump supporters have always felt that The U.S. Government is too large, and interferes with their lives! So, enjoy the fruits of your patriotism with The this shutdown!
4
Self promotion has become a way of Leadership life, so who cares for Government !!!
If government shuts down, will Trump shut up?
Pretty please?
3
Mitch McConnell is a problem...he is rigid and unbending, not particularly creative and unable to seek compromise. This is how he obstructed Obama, and now he is as obstructionist as his own goofy president. The Republicans, and the country, would be better served with a Lindsey Graham type as speaker.
And then there is the General Kelly. He should pay attention to running the White House and leave legislating to others as he clearly doesn’t know how to do a deal.
2
The shutdown is another illustration of DC ineptitude and dysfunction. We have been running our government on a series of CRs, because the children in the Congress are more interested in pointing fingers than accepting responsibility, owning problems, and finding solutions.
Stop this stupidity.
Fix it.
Together.
Period.
4
Mitch couldn't even coral all Republicans even though he got 4 Democrats to back the measure. Let the chips fall where they may, but remember Mitch tossed them.
27
Mitch McConnell voted against the bill, and then castigated the Democrats as though it was all their "fault?" Does he not realize that his shrinking constituency in Kentucky will be dismayed by this bit of dishonesty?
32
Both parties own this shutdown. We Democrats may own higher moral ground with our defense of DACA, but the government must function, regardless of policy disputes. One wonders if what we are witnessing is the disintegration of the two-party system.
19
Unless I'm reading things completely incorrectly, it appears that Mitch McConnell voted NO on the budget?!?!?! How can the President AND McConnell put the blame on Democrats if the Senate Majority Leader couldn't vote for his own bill? The way I see it, if you count the 5 Democrat Yes votes AND the 5 Republican defections, they would have had a passed budget.
I won't even get into the eight years of Republican stonewalling when it came to dealing with Obama, or McConnell's refusal to allow a Supreme Court appointment with over a year of President Obama's term remaining, but isn't this the height of hypocrisy?
36
Compromise is essential to governing, but the Senatorial Republicans cannot be trusted.
If the Senate passes a CR it will go to reconciliation with the House CR, where the Senate Republicans are likely to betray their compromise.
My wife and I are retirees, and we need our monthly Social Security checks. But, protecting the Dreamers and admitting refugees fleeing for their lives are much more important to us than our needs. So, until the Senate Republicans include protection for the Dreamers and for admitting refugees in their proposed CR and the House Republicans amend theirs to do the same, the Democrats should --
FILIBUSTER! FILIBUSTER! FILIBUSTER! FILIBUSTER!
31
I noticed that on the tabulation of votes, McConnell voted No - with the Democrats. There's no mention of this in the articles. Why did this happen?
29
As the majority party, it is up to the Republicans to initiate and drive the compromise that is necessary in this case. The shut down is on them. Their alternative is to change the Senate rules so the bill does not require a 60-vote super majority. They are avoiding that because they know it will come back to bite them down the road. Let's sit back and watch how this party governs....
18
The Senate Democrats cannot "block" anything. They can only refuse to help the GOP pass a bill the Democrats and their constituents are opposed to. You have framed the issue in a way that conforms with Republican spin.
39
Hmmm.
It turns out the Republicans were right: Government doesn't work.
Or at least not when THEY are running it.
Of course, a lot of people knew that already...
54
Perhaps Donald J. Trump should read a little history or maybe the History Channel can put up a special for him, but both Presidents Ronald Reagan and George H.W. Bush issued limited amnesties for "illiegal" immigrants. In both cases, a lot of these immigrants now own property, run businesses, pay taxes and are involved in community life.
The so-called "Dreamers" came here through no choice of their own. This is the home they remember. A lot speak better English than many native born Americans. Thousands are employed and paying into both Social Security and Medicare via payroll taxes. If the GOP throws them out, back to a country they never knew, are we going to refund the monies noted above?
The GOP is pandering to a despicable Trump constituency that not only lacks any sense of right and wrong, but ignores the fact that we need these immigrants in our work force. While too many of them sit idly by spouting racist epithets and xenophobic phrases, taking opioids and collecting food stamps and welfare checks, those "illegal" immigrants are getting an education or are employed. Who are the better "Americans"?
56
One fears to imagine what the electorate will come up with as the appropriate protest vote in the next elections. Barring the emergence of a third party, all that really seems available is a total election boycott.
2
How about amending the law so that when the government shuts down Congressional and Senate Legislators don't get paid and they don't recover the lost pay when the government re-opens. How many thousands of people won't get a paycheck next week while these elected representatives, who voted to shut it down, will get paid?
39
All the dreamers are citizens of Mexico. They have elected officials to address their needs. Mr. Schumer and every other elected U.S. official needs to concern themselves with U.S. citizens and what's best for them.
Vincente Fox and his ilk care not one whit for me or my plight and apparently a large percentage of the U.S. elected don't either.
Who will address my needs?
10
As I understand it, the president said to Congress "Bring me a bill you both support and I will sign it". When the compromised bill was brought to the president, he reneged on his so-called promise to sign said bill. The campaign exhibited that Trump was untrustworthy and this is just another manifestation of that characterization.
33
Our local middle school student government could do a better job at running the company than the GOP.
23
To approve Continuing Resolutions over and over again is to keep changing the Band-Aids on a problem that won't heal: Congress hasn't mended the huge gap in party ideologies. But to say that Democrats didn't help the Republicans? Pure Trump!
15
the republican frame does not allow for helping the unfortunate..... unless it is to shame democrats into voting for the continued destruction of the government.
stand strong democrats.
17
I believe this entirely avoidable shutdown stems from their previous nefarious reliance on the reconciliation process, where they never had to ask Democrats for anything, or even allowed much comment and 0 amendments on the (failed) health care plan and the (somewhat successful) tax reform. The 51 vote reconciliation rule was meant for small fixes, not large legislation and it was almost the definition of undemocratic. (Though they love democracy when it helps them spread the blame.)
Now they are stuck with something that requires cooperation between the two parties and the Republicans don't know how to do it. From what I could tell, it was really just two things: health insurance for children and protection for the dreamer children. Those should have been easy negotiations. But when you've made obstruction, non-cooperation and partisanship your ethos for 9 and counting years, this is what you get. This one is indeed a Trumpshutdown.
37
Apparently Mitch McConnell himself voted against the resolution. Now that's interesting.
12
The political party that shuts down government is the one that does not believe in government and they are now in total control of government.
19
Can someone please explain why Mitch McConnell voted against his spending bill, then blames Democrats for their lack of supports?
36
Senate rules allow for a "reconsideration" motion but only from some one who voted against it. This allows McConnell to allow him to open the measure for amendments, which will change the House version to be passed with a new date then reconsidered in the Senate. It allows him to fast track the changes needed to get the bill back to the House for their approval of the date change.
13
So not one Senate Democrat votes on a stop gap measure and its the Republicans fault.
11
No, actually its the fault of the Republican MAJORITY, including Flake, Graham, Paul, Lee and the LEADER, McConnell, who all voted against their own party.
How can you blame the minority?
19
Blame,blame blame. When is someone going to take responsibility for their actions and actually do something? This is outrageous.
As the saying goes,"If you are not part of the solution, you are part of the problem".
14
Talk about burying the lede. McConnell could not get 50 votes. They are the majority. And the vote failed because they would not attach bills that -both sides- support: DREAM and CHIP. That’s government by hostage. Attachment of either bill would have resulted in passage. Anne both bills are overwhelmingly popular.
15
Political wrangling and brinkmanship at its worst.
The bundling of the Continuing Resolution with the Children's Health Insurance Program six year funding measure was an obvious GOP set up to coerce the Democrats into submission.
Surely both sides own this debacle, but the GOP and Trump should gets the lion’s share of the angst of the American people.
18
When you need 60 votes in the Senate and you only have 51, it seems obvious to this common citizen that compromise is going to be necessary. If you pride yourself on your incredible skills as a negotiator, wouldn't this be right in your wheelhouse? Get the principals together, find out what people need to get their vote and then hammer out an acceptable compromise? Simple, right?
The current Trump negotiating style seems be include making appropriate noises about accepting a compromise, then as soon as a offer is made, he rejects it and moves to a position that is more extreme than the position he perviously espoused. This "where's the pea" strategy may work at the local carnival but it doesn't work in Washington. This shutdown is all yours, Donald.
63
Shame on the Republicans for using children's health and the Dreamers as bargaining chips in this negotiation. Well, they have no shame, obviously, and it's increasingly obvious that McConnell and Ryan have as little ability to govern as Trump himself. This is a Republican government; they run the Executive and Legislative branches, yet they can get absolutely nothing accomplished. They're failures. And all Trump can do is whine about his party being canceled. It's his own fault that in one short year, his party has managed to shut down the government. Schumer Shutdown? Seriously? The best Trump can do in a horrible situation is try to brand the disaster he's created. And he's branding it inaccurately. #TrumpShutdown.
25
According to the vote count Mitch McConnell was among the republicans voting against this bill. Is that an error?
5
I think there is a procedure where the Majority Leader votes against a failing bill in order to be able to raise it again. Reid did it several times on important bills when he was leader.
8
All three, Trump, Democrats and GOP are culpable for this "shutdown". Trump's erratic and wildly shifting positions designed to confuse both his GOP leadership and the Democrats certainly poisoned the negotiating atmosphere. The Democrats have taken a high risk gamble and may have lost the momentum for midterm election victories later this year. Linking DACA and immigration issues for senate budget votes was a wrong move. While there is public support for these issues, it ranked lower in priority to averting a shutdown. It is not without meaning that some Democratic senators distanced themselves from Schumer's/Pelosi's moves. Harris and Warren are assured windfall victories in their respective strongholds but nationally it means little. The Democrats egged on by the rave reviews in mainstream media are failing to take advantage of the deep divisions and ineptness in the GOP. Playing ethnic identity politics to sustain political support as both parties are doing is going to cause long term fissures in our social fabric.
4
The Republicans are a majority and this budget bill could be passed.
But the Democrats threaten the filibuster, so 60 votes, more than the Republic majority, was needed to pass this bill.
This leads me to believe the Democrats should be blamed for this. They don't believe in majority rule.
4
and in past elections more people vote for democrats, yet republicans "win" elections.
what was that you said about majorities should rule?
13
If we were a majority rule nation then Clinton would be president. We are a constitutional republic.
2
Well, if you only have 51 and you need 60, you don’t have a majority, do you? That’s why you have to COMPROMISE.
1
This is classic Trump. The bogus "art of the deal" that is actually the art of the extortion. Offer a contractor $100,000 to do a job. Pay $50,000 at completion. The contractor sues for the rest but quickly learns that accepting the $50,000 is a better "deal" than fighting Trump's lawyers and capitulates. I actually saw with my own eyes and heard with my own ears Trump promising support for DACA, but now he's using it to extort money for his wall. I am sorry, but anyone who can't see who and what Trump really is suffers from a severe case of what my high school Latin teacher would have dubbed as "cocksure ignorance".
36
The Democrats lost the last election, plain and simple. They should have accepted that, and not tried to ram liberal programs down the throat of the nation. Importantly, the Democrats seemed well on their way to a victory in the midterm elections next Novembers. It's likely they would have had a much stronger case and bargaining position for left of center policies come next January.
But no more. The Democrats own this shutdown, and will pay the political price for the harm being imposed on all of us.
7
I would like to see the NYT offer a timeline of the various negotiations and proposals and ultimate rejections in this debacle that I've pieced together in articles scattershot through this publication. Lead with the build up to the CR rejection, on to the refusal to accept a bipartisan solution to immigration in the horrorshow of a meeting, meetings with Sen. Schumer and its terms (also rejected), Democratic proposals to block Congressional pay as well as continue to pay active duty military (refused by McConnell). I fear John Kelly has become the voice behind the throne and any agreement will be with his approval only. What a shattered government. What a doomed democracy.
18
Does the government shutdown also shutdown the Mueller investigation? Maybe that was the plan all along. Genius? After all, trump could nuke the world from Fifth Ave and not lose his base of support.
5
No, the memo will shut down the Mueller investigation, give it a week or so for Trump to review and decide if it should be released to the public.
2
The Mexican government truly lacks vision when it comes to taking advantage of the DACA chaos in the US. Mexico should look at the example of what the US did after WWII, when the US scooped up most of the German rocket scientists, thus jump starting US space efforts for decades to come.
Mexico should aggressively reach out through the US media to let it be known that persons covered by DACA will be welcome with open arms in Mexico. Include a promise modelled after the Emma Lazarus poem, something like "Give me your young, your Dreamers, dreaming to breathe free".
Mexico should follow this up with both social and economic assistance. For example, offer free Spanish as a second language classes, make it easy to transfer college credits to Mexican universities, and create special economic zones around Mexico city, and/or in new areas just across the border from places like San Diego or El Paso. Encourage entrepreneurship in these economic zones (e.g., less regulation, and offer financial assistance, incentives for existing businesses, etc.). Try to make the culture in these zone as welcoming as possible to transplanted DACAs.
Doing this would help transform the Mexican economy for decades to come.
6
It is the lack of willingness of mutually acceptable compromise that produced the shutdown. Trumps does not believe in that concept.
3
And this too will end. Most likely with sickening scenes of both parties smiling and backslapping each other while bragging about coming together in a bipartisan effort for the good of the American people. Still up in the air is whether they will pose on the Capital steps singing God Bless America. Stay tuned.
4
Trump wanted the shutdown from the first day - he thinks he can hang it on the Dems and Schumer - and I'm sure he can with Faux News, the WSJ and his shrinking base. But what of the rest of America? Will they be sold this false bill of goods too? Will they fall for him again
If the reports are accurate , Schumer gave him his precious border wall, but still not a deal. Miller and Kelly do not want any immigrants in the country and they were the last men in the room with the tRump - and we all know what is said about the last people to speak to trump.
I will guess that tRump will say that Schumer did not agree to a wall - so who is more likely lying? tRump or Schumer?
How can people negotiate with man who never keeps his word? what will that communicate to our allies? our enemies?
10
Can't have both, a welfare state for the rich and a strong government to protect the democracy. America is failing Mr. Trump. Is this to be another one of your bankrupt ventures?
10
Shutdowns such as this hurt the entire country. It is true it takes two to tango, and there is blame to share by both parties, but it is also true that the role of one party dominates; that party owns the shutdown. Last time this happened the Republicans "owned" the shutdown, and its consequences. This time, make no mistake, the Democrats own the shutdown.
It looked like the Democrats were marching to a Trump backlash victory next November, in the midterms. No more. This will haunt the Democrats for years.
Democrats have pandered to their far-left base. But it is the center that matters, and that wins elections. The Democrats gave their all to the far left wing of their party at their last convention. Look what it got them.
For now and in the days or weeks to come, we all lose. It need not have been this way.
3
Both the Executive and Legislative branches of the government are for all intents and purposes broken. A party who holds all the power can't even get all of its members to vote for a CR to keep the government open. A president allows members of Congress and his staff whose radical beliefs that used to be fringe to be the deciding factor on whether a deal can be reached. And here we are exactly one year from when this incompetent administration began with the government shut down. Oh, and Trump's big worry is whether he'll get his golf in this weekend and be in Florida for his big first anniversary fund-raising gala. Elections certainly have had their consequences, haven't they?
6
It was important for the Democratic base to see that the party didn't back down. Whatever happens next -- the Republicans who voted no may flip, Republicans may ultimately get the deal without DACA - the fact that Schumer went the distance will resonate for the midterm elections, which are important for all our welfare.
9
It will take me a very long time to notice that the government shut down. What does that say?
6
I believe that the government shut down a long time ago.........but nobody could tell the difference between shut down and NOT shut down.
We could save a lot of tax money if the private military contractors taxed us directly without laundering it through the Republican Congress.
9
Shutdown? Hmmm. Electricity cut off? Furnace closed down? Running water shut off? Utilities cut-off to the CONGRESSIONAL Capitol Building might sharpen the legislators' focus.
4
The Credit for the shutdown goes to Stephen Miller, John Kelly and Cotton, The art of the deal is working well for Mr. Trump in D.C? It is a sad day when politicians are palying politics with people's lifes
13
5 Republicans voted against proceeding, including the Senate Majority Leader. In a gov't totally controlled by Republicans how could this have happened? "Procedural" or not, they can't even get their act together to keep 5 of their own votes? And, 5 Democrats voted for proceeding. They lost by 11 votes with McCain not voting. Do the math and Republicans could have easily passed this vote.
The Republicans wanted this shutdown in the hopes they could pin it on Democrats. Just another Republican deceit.
13
The legislative and executive branches of government are failing at their most basic task and all they can do is point fingers. It is a disgusting spectacle and state of affairs. That grown men and women allow themselves to become polarized to the point of paralysis is a mind-boggling embarrassment. No doubt these clowns will continue to be paid and expensively taken care of at taxpayers expense. What's wrong with the leadership?
1
The writing was on the wall for this government shutdown ages ago -- it's hard to imagine anybody didn't see it coming.
After all, this is a president who doesn't know 'The Art of the Deal', and a Republican Congress that has perfected the the art of obstruction.
That they go on to blame this all on the Democrats is only part of the same old tired script.
This is not making America great again -- just the opposite.
9
Social Security checks would still be mailed out and because the Postal Service has its own funding, mail will still be delivered and post offices will remain open. But it all comes at a cost, since the two-week 2013 shutdown cost the economy roughly $24 billion.
3
Exactly how did/does a shutdown "cost" money? Yes, there will be fewer government workers working but all will get paid but they would have gotten paid anyway. And Trump isn't going to spend money cordoning off non-manned monuments, memorials, and scenic views like the last administration did during its shutdown.
1
Democrats---don't allow this issue to become personal---I know, Trump does that to you---but, the goal is winning in November--and betting the house on the Dreamers is a loser. Let the Republicans own the terribleness of the Dreamers---as it stands now, the public, unfortunately, is willing to give up on the Dreamers to get the government running again.
4
So it's the Dem's fault because the Rep's handed them a take-it-or-leave-it continuing resolution at the last minute that didn't give the Dem's EVERYTHING?
"Regular" budgeting process? Never mind.
Incorporate bi-partisan negotiated agreements? Not needed.
Listen to a President who parrots the last person he spoke with? Not possible.
What's important is the CR was favored by the majority of House Rep's. The Rep's gave the Dem's a deal that the Rep's thought was good, not only for the Rep's but for the Dem's as well. "How dare the Dem's turn their noses up at our work!"
What a bunch of entitled, out of touch miscreants!
Schumer was wrong about one very important thing, this isn't the "Trump Shutdown," it the "Ryan-McConnell Shutdown."
As citizens, our path is clear: Register and vote! Flip 'em.
5
Mitch McConnell cited not knowing what Donald Trump wants as an excuse for not doing his job. Las time I checked, the legislative branch of government was independent and senators were elected by their home state's voters, not by the President.
5
1. Democrats should not try to negotiate with Trump. He will always change his mind the next day because he doesn't know what he's don't.
2. The time for the GOP and Democrats to work together has come and gone. The Republicans lost what credibility they had when they refused to work with President Obama and were determined to make him fail. They still have not moved forward, which is why they support Trump's efforts to dismantle every thing Obama accomplished.
3. I'm glad the Democrats held firm, and I hope their spines stiffen some more. Does Congress continue to get paid when the government shuts down?
5
Why is it no one sees that Putin ordered the Government shutdown? Why is it that this nation of non-science (non-sense) and conspiracy theories doesn't see Russia's hand in all that Trump, and his supporters, do?
1
I'm gladdened and surprised that most of the Democrats held strong and would not go along with this short-term spending plan. The GOP was more than willing to sacrifice CHIP at the alter of tax breaks for the wealthy, why should we believe they give a fig about sick children now? They certainly don't care about the DACA kids, or kids who are being affected by the opioid crisis, or kids who need food stamps. If we've learned anything in the last year, it's Trump cannot be trusted to keep his word. Congressional Republicans are just about as trustworthy as Trump, so it's imperative their feet be held to the fire until a responsible bill can be secured.
5
“This vote should be a no-brainer,” Mr. McConnell said, “and it would be, except the Democratic leader has convinced his members to filibuster any funding bill that doesn’t include legislation they are demanding for people who came into the United States illegally.”
This is the crux of it. Children who were brought here and have grown up as Americans are being rejected by the Republican party as "illegals." Their only crime appears to be that they are not Norwegians. This is a cruel, heartless, and inhumane policy that is unworthy of us as a people. I'm not a Democrat but I think in this case they did the morally right thing rather than what was expedient to pander to a segment of racist voters.
5
From a practical standpoint, this is a tempest in a teapot. Essential services remain open and Trump's argument about the military is, as are many of his arguments, completely bogus. This is nothing more than a political volleyball being batted back and forth between teams of petulant children.
Further, to listen to the politicians, you'd think this was a once in a lifetime event. In fact, it last happened just five years ago. I don't recall the sky falling then and it won't fall now.
2
This all started with the Tea Party Caucus who decided that government did not require compromise. It was their way or the highway. So here we are. Throw in Citizens United, throw in hard right federal judges all the way up to the Supreme Court and you're looking at a return to the early 20th century. It took 50 years for the country to move forward. I'll be dead if history indeed repeats itself.
2
The best thing about the shut down is that the FBI, as an essential service, is not shut down. Mr. Mueller, the country awaits your very best efforts.
5
For the party in control to have no greater bargaining chip than calling this the "Schumer Shutdown' is pathetic. The Republicans have shown a complete inability to govern or adhere to the Constitution.
27
Republicans tried to make health insurance for children and the lives of immigrants who were brought here as children into bargaining chips they could use to throttle Democrats, and only now discovered that Democrats have no intention of playing along. This shutdown is entirely on them, and I won't forget how they played politics with innocent lives when I go to the polls this year, and not just in November.
39
CHIP funding was included in the bill. They didn't bargain over it- they funded it.
Democrats risked that on the dreamers. They held CHIP hostage for DACA.
I will never forget that they made those here illegally their primary concern- over poor citizen children who need healthcare.
3
I watched Mitch McConnell outright lie last night in the sonorous speech of deceit in the middle of the night. Who is this guy that he controls the situation but receives no opprobrium for his paternalistic slave owner attitude?
He stood at his podium as supplicants moved from a circle of senators attempting compromise to the great man. How sickening. And that voice of no compromise. A voice of inhumanity. It’s one thing to have a debate, quite another to lie, cheat and steal from the commons.
45
you nailed it - "slave owner attitude". i have often thought that many republicans would own slaves if they could just get the law changed.
Once again, the degree of hypocrisy shown by the Republicans--especially the ever-sanctimonious Mitch McConnell--is stunning. Linking CHIP to this irresponsible budget bill while refusing to include DACA shows exactly how far the Republicans will go to manipulate their goals. Holding millions of children hostage while selling out to their wealthiest donors, then trying to sell it to the American public with: "Here, it's just Kool-Aid, honest!"
32
Talking in 2013 about a government shutdown “when they talk about the government shutdown, they're going to be talking about the president of the United States, who the president was at that time." “"They're not going to be talking about who was the head of the House, the head the Senate, who's running things in Washington," Trump said.” Donald J. Trump
22
Shutdown? No wonder. "The Art of the Deal" was ghostwriiten anyway. Trump actually knows nothing about the subject.
29
Trump went into hiding last night and woke up whining on Twitter.
Bottom line is that neither party trusts him and why should anyone trust him? The man has no core principles, no grasp of policy and changes his mind depending on what TV channel he’s watching.
Today Trump hands America a government shutdown, an Inaugural Anniversary present from the President of the United States.
43
i hope you are all getting tax reimbursements.
10
If the country promises that the Democrats can legalize a million immigrants a year can we have a government?
2 million? 3 million?
If the Democrats get what they want in DACA what then? Which Democrat is ever going to tell any illegal immigrant that they have to leave?
11
Excuse me but I think you are laying blame for this shutdown on the wrong people. Dreamers and Democrats want to do what is right for this country.
I am sorry you don't.
DJT can't be believed on any point. He doesn't understand policy or even how the government works. His nasty am tweets are all he knows how to do.
6
DACA is not about illegal immigration. It is about children.
1
Seriously, from the bottom of what barrel are we scraping when we elect our leadership? This one is on the party in power, this mess belongs to the Republicans.
42
Is it any wonder that the 1 year anniversary of Trump's Presidency and the unified government under the Republicans has led to nothing but chaos and the inability to prevent a government shutdown or a budget deal?
Is it any wonder that a guy who "wrote" a book called "The Art of the Deal" doesn't actually understand or know what a deal is?
Is it any wonder that after 9 years of refusing to compromise with Democrats on ANYTHING substantive, the Republican Congressional leadership has had their bullying, browbeating, and insult tactics blow up in their faces?
Is it any wonder that a party that when it was in the minority used every obstructionist scheme possible solely for the tactical advantage regardless of the damage done to the nation now that it's in the majority, cries "unfair!" when the other party now uses similar tactics? Is it unfair to call the Republicans "The Crybaby Party"?
Is it any wonder that with the crisis of their own making now upon us, Mitch McConnell and Donald Trump are still unable to understand a simple concept that "compromise" is NOT the same as "losing"?
Is it any wonder that when their habitual tactic of schmoozing, followed by bullying, name-calling, & browbeating, all fail, it sends them into raging apoplexy rather than back to the negotiating table?
Is it any wonder that a party whose VP continually states:
"I am a Christian, a Conservative, and a Republican, in that order!" without ever saying "American" cannot govern the nation?
63
Please, cable TV, keep showing the Trump 2013 tape of him saying that Government shutdowns are the fault of the President. Naturally, Fox News will ignore it, but real news programs can remind us.
56
Schumer's Gambit, not Schumer's shutdown.
5
Senate Democrats Blocked!? Are you serious!? 5 democrats voted for it and 4 Republicans voted against it. Hard to see how this is on the Democrats.
28
This. I was pretty troubled to see coverage yesterday leading in with phrases like “democrats blocked” when republicans are refusing—as they have been for a year, on every front—any concessions whatsoever.
The party that holds 2 am votes on legislation that nobody else even has time to read, presumably because that’s the only way they can pass it, really has no place accusing anyone else of being responsible for the results, especially as they -continue- refusing to negotiate on anything whatsoever.
3
Can Ted Cruz read Green Eggs and Ham for us again? It seems to be all that Republicans can do for the people with their long-running series "Storytime in the U.S. Capitol."
16
Sounds like everyone can blame this on John Kelly, the shadow President, who is bonkers. He needs to be removed from the White House before he totally destroys the reputation of the US Marine Corps. Meanwhile, before the shutdown was official, the President’s gala in Florida was back on the agenda, creating whiplash for the private jets wanting to fly into the West Palm Beach airport. Donald is just a bother to them.
15
Stripping away all the rhetoric, this is just about picking us versus them, CHIP is seen as benefitting white American kids while DACA is benefitting non-white, non-American kids. With this administration it's a no brainer where their support goes. It's time for all the old white men to leave so that we can move this country forward.
22
Well done. It's just what the country needs. Show the effects of this administration's posturing and posing. Its leader is all smoke and mirrors. The nation is reaping what it has sown. #thanksdeplorables
26
I still favor the automatic spending cut across the board when something like this happened. Thus, we can avoid a government shut down crisis. And we can focus energy on more important issues. The great thing about American politics is that there always a reason why it failed and it is all other people's fault. It is about time to have term limit set on these elected officials.
6
After President Trump's first year in office, what a fitting greeting for us, to have to look down the throat of our Government Shutting down. President Trump appears to thrive on conflict and chaos. Some of it may be 'rabbit hole' distraction, but I also believe he is actively mimicking the behavior of despots who have acted within such a paradigm throughout history. I won't name names for fear of being censored.
10
I support DACA, aid for Puerto Rico, and the Democrats. These are desperate times, and desperate times require desperate measures.
31
I support CHIP and aid for Puerto Rico.
I do not support holding 320 million people hostage for 800,000 non-citizens.
I am afraid the Democrats are blowing any chance of gaining a majority in Congress.
2
If Congress voted to keep the country running Republicans, all of them, would take credit. So now, as is the case regardless, Republicans blame the Democrats for the shutdown. Maybe Democrats have finally realized the ‘blame’ thing doesn’t matter.
10
They claimed they needed to make tax cuts permanent for corporations because they needed to be able to plan. With that logic, how do they justify continuing resolutions that don't allow the Pentagon and other areas of the Government to plan?
18
The amazing thing about a government shutdown like this is that it is going to have no apparent impact on the lives of the vast majority of Americans. Which makes one wonder what the heck we are spending all this money. Not one child is going to read more poorly, for example, because the Department of Education is shuttered.
5
Sarah Huckabee Sanders, said in a statement. “Tonight, they (Democrats) put politics above our national security, military families, and our country’s ability to serve all Americans.”
How many educated Americans recall seeing an education poster from 1988 which read:
"It will be a great day when our schools get all the money they need and the Air Force has to hold a bake sale to buy a bomber."
Tribal warfare continues. In geological time -- Peace will come, when the populace is educated. Right now -- we are still in the Dark Ages.
30
US leads the world in military spending. But also in education and health care spending. We are being ripped off in all 3 areas.
Half the White House staff gets furloughed. Other than that it's pretty much a nothing-burger. So a shut down shouldn't be a problem.
Trump might have to send out for Big Macs.
8
They have a bigger obligation to US. I'm sick of this partisan bickering. I'm fed up. This is truly sickening.
5
Trump and the GOP have been declaring their hatred for government over the past four decades. Trump in particular fulfills his dream of getting back at the government for their trying to cramp his style as a con man. He is now like a bad boy in a candy shop. What a fitting tribute to him that he has sabotaged the government which he is sworn to protect, but, hey, this is what his base has elected him to do and he has fulfilled at least one promise to those who share his dream of a country without laws or a sane morality.
5
I strongly dislike Trump. His conduct on this with his vulgar and offensive language has gotten tn the way again. However the Democrats are horribly wrong to hold American citizens hostage so that they can do huge favors for illegal immigrants. So I blame the Democrats for this fiasco. The best solution would be to robustly improve immigration enforcement, build the wall, and hold our noses and let 300,000 illegal DACA people stay. There should not be a DACA blank check to allow unlimited numbers of illegal DACA claiming immigrants in.
5
Let's review several important facts. 1. The Senate rules require 60, not a simply majority of 51, votes for the continuing resolution to be passed. Therefore, all the talk about the Republicans having all the votes to pass the bill, by themselves, is wrong. 2. If you take the number on persons subject to DACA as the published 800,000, then this group accounts for only 0.25% of the U.S. population of 325,000,000. That means the Democrats are focusing on an extremely small group of people at the expense of the other 99.75% of the population.
So explain to the rest of us how this is a Republican generated problem. It appears to me that the Dems don't give a hoot about the nation.
4
Majority of Americans, including this old white lady, support permanent status for the Dreamers. The Democrats are representing the will of the people, as all representatives should.
And the odious and failed leadership of the NYTimes is trying in its headlines elsewhere in the paper to blame the Democrats.
It's been 112 days since CHIP expired, 112 days since the fiscal year ended without a budget, and 137 days since Trump revoked DACA. At any point in time, the GOP, WHICH HOLDS A SOLID MAJORITY IN BOTH HOUSES, could have passed legislation to address these issues.
The GOP has had a full year under Trump's leadership to plan for this moment. And have failed utterly and completely.
But that is not the GOP style. Their style is to hold hostages, and legislate without prior planning, without bipartisan input, while holding a gun to the head of the American people.
The GOP has at this point pretty much proven that they are incapable of rational governance, aimed at benefiting the American people.
The ONLY thing they succeeded at, by a razor thin majority, was to pass tax legislation benfitting their wealth donors, because donations were drying up, and which will balloon the deficit by an estimated 2.5 TRILLION dollars.
They are solidly on track to maintain the historical record, in which deficits and debt fall under Democratic administrations, and both RISE with unyielding reliability under GOP administrations.
We do not need a Democratic Wave in November. We need a tsunami. We have got to flush these detritus out of the halls of power, and return this nation to rational rule.
12
Like the Dems can write any legislation to counter their offers.
So much for Trump's deal making skills. Even Mitch McConnell doesn't know what Trump wants because Trump is just playing this tune for his base and has no fundamental understanding of how government works. In private business, many deals are available so one has the option of walking away from one deal and into another that may be more to your liking. Government doesn't work that way as the parties at the table don't change and neither do the issues.
And I have to wonder in what way General Kelly, a career military man is in any way qualified to even have an opinion on government funding. He boarded the Trump train a long time ago and was supposed to be the voice of reason. Clearly that hasn't worked out very well for him or the country.
Trump will stamp his feet, hold his breath and make up names for the Democrats the same way he did to Republicans during the campaign, blaming them for everything in his childlike way while taking no responsibility for his ignorance and unwillingness to learn about compromise. He cancelled the DACA deal and threw it to an incompetent and divided Republican led congress. They now want to use it as a negotiating tool, just like the CHIP program that could have been funded months ago. They operate like mob blackmail thugs and this is all for political purposes, not for the greater good. Democrats should be proud for standing up to this criminal gang and keep the pressure up until Republicans stop this thug like behavior.
7
The failure to compromise is just another example of the disease of partisanship. Unfortunately, despite the tragedy of the shut down, we are now going to be bombarded with accusations of whose fault it is and they will dominate the news for days to come.
Don't worry about repairing or fixing, just politicize it and milk it. What we need now is damage control.
2
Schumer blames the Republicans; McConnell blames the Democrats. Americans should blame them both.
When is Congress going to start doing their job?
4
America should blame Trump, who reneged on the bipartisan deal that was made and that he promised he would sign and "take the heat" for.
4
If Republicans care so much about our soldiers not getting paid on time, they can fix that by exempting them from the shut-down. They are, after all, essential personnel. Republicans pitting our soldiers and military families against childhood immigrants is just plain evil. .
7
I love the tag line, “The government stopped operating at 12:01am...” as if our government has worked well or at all, in recent memory.
9
The Republicans voted in permanent tax cuts for corporations. But somehow can't find ways to fund these other programs past a few weeks?
Watching Mick Mulvaney on TV today made my stomach flip. It's remarkable how comfortable this WH staff is at lying.
As the President said in a 2013 "Fox & Friends" interview, the blame for a government shutdown is with the President.
9
Shutdown the White House. Stop funding it. Cut his phone lines, his Twitter feed, his access to McDonald's hamburgers, and his health care. He is the product of things he stands against: he is the result of chain migration, and he married two immigrants. He came to shutdown the government, so let his office be the first. At least we'll have some peace again.
12
DACA, Puerto Rico, the opioid crisis: the Repubs are blaming Dems for insisting the government help people who need help. That's their job, isn't it?
9
Here's a simple solution:
Send Trump to Mexico, keep DACA. We get rid of someone most of us don't want. and the Dreamers stay to make America even greater.
Works for me because, whew!.....I'm just soooo tired of all this winning!
6
The headline for this article is deceiving. The Dems aren’t alone in this. They share the blame with the Repubs and the president, who is mostly to blame. Even his own party says they don’t know what he wants. He does more waffling than Eggos. His chief of staff is in on the mix as well. If he hadn’t alerted Cottontail and his gang, their would have been a deal midweek. So if you look at all the facts, the Dems only bear a small fraction of the responsibility.
1
Is this "Art of the Deal" Mr. President? We have faith in you, and we believe your words Washington is broken, and only you can fix it the same way you saved many Trump companies through chapter 7&11.
3
A nightmare brought to you by the GOP and Donald Trump.
8
Wouldn't a more neutral explanation be that GOP didn't get enough votes? vs Dems blocking? I mean it is up to them to get the votes, they control government.
38
No. Because of senate rules, all appropriates bills are subject to a filibuster and that takes 60 votes to stop. The republicans only have 51 so with the democrates not will to end it, its their fault.
1
Look at the vote Rocky.
5 Dems voted for it and 4 Republicans against.
McConnel failed to get the votes and Trump sabotaged it the whole way.
If it were just partisanship, then how did a 10th of each party not fall in line?
2
I'm glad to see the Democrats hold their ground. Successful negotiation for Democratic priorities can only occur from a position of strength. Too few in the GOP leadership are persuaded by appeals to simple compassion or reason.
18
The Republicans tried to ram a healthcare bill through without Democratic support and failed a number of times, they then without Democratic support rammed the tax bill through all the while not allowing Democrats to participate, caucusing behind closed doors and with secrecy and then springing it on the American people with no debate. Now they need to keep the government open and are unable to do so without Democrats support, and they would like to blame Who? Was it not Republicans who let CHP expire, was it not Trump who created an issue about DACA, was it not Republicans who were only looking for a thirty day government funding extension, and then they want to blame Democrats, Well not if you follow the story, sorry Republicans you're just bankrupt.
34
"Well not if you follow the story..."
Therein lies the problem. Most Trumpers and FauxNews watchers can't or won't.
The Democrats are finally showing some backbone. Ever since McConnell and the Republicans stole a seat on the Supreme Court it has looked like the Democrats were inept. Democrats stole their playbook. Republican lawmakers are not to be trusted.
19
So, why is DACA such a hot-button issue for Trump's base? A bunch of kids who have grown up in America, studied in American schools, learned American customs, and wish to stay and work in America. They are already citizens in every way except the official citizenship papers.
Our economy depends on immigration. Immigration CREATES jobs. We want intelligent, highly-motivated immigrants who will assimilate comfortably into American culture. That described the Dreamers exactly.
Of course, I do know the reason that DACA is a hot-button issue. The reason is relentless anti-immigrant propaganda from Fox News and the alt-right media, playing on the fear and anxieties of the middle class who indeed face a lot of economic uncertainty. Fear of outsiders is a strong emotion at such times and there's no talking them out of it rationally. It's happened here before, and it's happening now in Europe, too.
Sadly, I don't know the cure. I only know that we cannot dismiss people on account of their fear and anxiety. Somehow we must bridge the gap between immigrants and those who fear them.
16
I am not a Trump supporter.
There are many reasons why people oppose illegal immigration.
1.) Economic- it really does depress wages. Sorry to let you in on that secret.
2.) Rule of law. Some people actually care about that! Equality under the law and all that.
3.) Environmental. US residents are the highest emitters per capita. If you care about the environment you will want to limit the growth of the US population.
4.) Endless cycle. The Dreamers may be deserving. But the minute we give some people a break it becomes so much easier to give more people a break. Who is going to tell the 11 million hard working illegal immigrants who are not in DACA that they have to leave? Not those who are advocating on behalf of the dreamers.
So people oppose the Dreamers because they know what will happen- a complete amnesty or costs, in the tens of billions, to deport people as the illegal immigrant advocacy groups draw out every hearing as long as possible.
People know that this is just the tip of the iceberg.
This nation can function without importing millions of people every year. It is going to mean higher prices- but in exchange we will no longer be exploiting the poorest, most vulnerable, people on the planet.
5
How does shutting down the government essentially over DACA help American citizens?
Why should DACA be a high priority for citizens?
5
America's ridiculous in that it allows this. Just let the previous keep operating until the new comes in. But hey that might be at the "advantage" of the normal people.
2
More than anything else, the time to stand up to Trump had to come at some point since his own party won't. These issues go beyond the budget but get to the heart of telling a would-be dictator that no, you can't always get what you want.
The shutdown is not a good thing but it is necessary, and now, better than later.
12
Trump has yet to doing anything in regards to this issue.
Congress has yet to get him a bill to sign- or not.
Democrats and Republicans, in Congress, can not come to an agreement. The House and the Senate cannot come to an agreement.
That is, largely, due to the fact that citizens in this country cannot come to an agreement.
That 84 percent that support the Dreamers? It is vague support. Actually propose a policy and you will find that those 84 percent agree on very little of substance. Some want full citizenship. Some do not. Some want a path. Some do not. Some want full amnesty. Some want provisional. Some want anyone with a criminal record deported. Some want only certain criminals to be deported.
1
Looks like Kelly is in charge now - Trump’s Cheney. That Trump requires Kelly’s approval of Trump’s proposals is evident from the Trump-Kelly-Schumer meeting and from Trump’s change of attitude after convening with Kelly, leading to dismissal of the bipartisan funding proposal Trump favored earlier.
6
The Democrats did not "block"passage of the bill, the Republicans failed to garner the required number of votes...including defections from their own party. WAPO, that is skewing the description.
19
Due to constant French- vs Dutch-speaking Belgians disagreements, Belgium spent almost 600+ days without a "proper" government. As a result, not only all the federal services continued to run, the budget of the country actually improved.
In US we can not do the same, the way government is funded and all. Instead we should experiment with suspending the Congress and the Senate, deeply divided along 2 parties lines, and the dysfunctional President. The budget decisions and other legislation would be taken up by a small "caretaker" Senate (no more than 20 people), made up from the least despised members of current Congress. The President functions will be limited to Tweeting, and will be carried out by Michael Che and Colin Jost.
2
With Captain Chaos, aka Trump, driving this bus, how would anyone expect a smooth legislative process? In his mind, it is ALL about him and that is not a path toward reasonable solutions in our democracy. Of course, weak Republican Senate and House leadership isn't helping resolve this as they drift to what they perceive as Trump's ideological base. The mid-term elections can't come soon enough.
6
Trump and the Republicans see every move as a sort of Battle for the Base. Among those of his base who haven’t already declared that they will follow him no matter what happens in any area, how many do you suppose will even see the tacking on of CHIP as a negative tactic? Nope. As much as I’m glad to see the Democrats present a united front for a change, I’m afraid theirs is the greater strategic error here. In the end, unless it ends very quickly, this will have been the “Schumer Shutdown” of 2018 (over immigration, of all things) and will negatively affect Democrats at the polls. I think it was the wrong battle to pick, especially when, in my opinion, Trump never intended to actually shut down DACA.
3
But shut it down he did; let him and his party reap that whirlwind.
1
This annual brinkmanship has got to stop. Both parties and presidents are culpable in the drama. Appropriation bills have languished on Capitol Hill for months while Congress takes one darn recess after another. Our presidents shows no leadership by failing to call Congress to task for not doing their job. Presidents need to call the leaders of both houses on the first day of Congress and spell out what his priorities are and the leaders of Congress can spell out theirs. No one goes home until the legislative agenda is set.
3
Thank you, Senator Schumer and other principled lawmakers. When one party holds the House, Senate, and presidency, it must occasionally compromise and negotiate with the other party which in this case represents far more American citizens. Tactics such as hostage taking and bulldozing through deeply unpopular bills such as the tax cuts for the rich do not contribute to the public good.
The innocent Dreamers who committed no crime but were brought as children would be sent into exile from their families, the country they were raised in, and their lives. When Japanese Americans were interned disgracefully in WWII, far fewer were impacted. To cruelly deport almost a million young people is a crime against humanity. This is Trump's doing by ending DACA without regard for the lives and suffering that it would cause.
Trump and the Republicans prioritized the tax breaks for the rich which will add $1.5 trillion to the national debt and in the next few years cost 13 million Americans their healthcare and raise taxes on the middle and lower classes while giving 83% of the benefits to the top 1%.
Where was the urgency for CHIP or the military or the Dreamers or Americans needing healthcare when the GOP rammed through their tax breaks for the rich bill without hearings or normal procedures?
This is a matter of conscience. You do not enact racist and xenophobic policies that harm hundreds of thousands of innocent people. Americans do not consent to atrocity.
18
The GOP majority in Congress has been divided in three ideological factions for years. Both Speaker Ryan and Sen. McConnell are focused on pushing party 's extremists ' ideological agenda . Rather than working for bipartisan support on : economy under threat by debts and rising budget deficits , immigration reforms including DACA under threats , Healthcare issues led by Trump care with increases in costs and uninsured folks estimated at 13 million. The Trump administration continues to be struggling with chaos and disarray led by uninformed, misguided and divisive policies for almost a year now another Government shut down . What do you think ?
3
In one year the GOP has taken CHIP, DACA, 4/5ths of a national monument, coastal drilling protections, clean air regulations, and consumer financial protections by fiat, and allowed Puerto Rico to twist in the wind. That Dems are asking for some of that back in this "negotiation" should have been anticipated by the GOP.
10
For those who do not know and a question; the job of congress is to create laws that are good for the country regardless of party affiliation...a vote should be non-partisan and based on merit. The job of the President is to accept or reject those laws, wherein the bills would return to the congress where they can then over ride the President, re-frame legislation or abandon the effort. When members feel their job is to please a President they have abdicated their constitutional responsibilities as a separate but equal branch of government. When they become lackeys of the President they undermine the constitution. My personal question is why any representative would want to please this President when the character and future of the United States is in the hands of such an unqualified and inconstant leader?
9
Shutting down the govt. in support of DACA takes courage, but will be interpreted by many voters as support for illegal immigration. The Democratic party desperately needs dynamic, new leadership and messaging to counter the bloviators on the right.
The market continues to rise and the military is stronger than ever. Pay checks are larger due to the recently passed tax bill. The country, I fear, is slowly but surely moving towards more nationalism and militarism. What arguments can Democrats make to appeal to voters who don't look past their own narrow self interests?
4
Everything falls into focus when you recognize that Trump is a salesman - an unscrupulous salesman, but a salesman never-the-less. Anyone who has been tortured by a car salesman when buying a car knows the drill. The salesman asks you your best offer. You tell him. He accepts. Then he goes to see his "manager" only to return a long while later with a long face. He tells you he went to bat for you, but you will have to come up with an additional $10 a month. That is Trump negotiating a budget deal, but on a much greater scale. Get used to it.
6
And when I was tortured by a car salesmen I did what the Dems did - I walked out. The dealer called the next day...
1
Our great negotiator in the White House failed again to close the deal just as he has failed in his multiple bankruptcies and numerous business misadventures. This was a bipartisan defeat of the bill. As many Republicans voted against it as Democrats voted for it. The reason why Republicans will be blamed by the public for this failure to keep the government open is because they held hostage to a CR, programs that the American people overwhelming wanted (CHIP and DACA). When you hold control of the legislature, the White House and the Supreme Court, it's laughable to blame the minority for your failure to get a deal especially with the guy who wrote The Art of the Deal. Not very artful.
5
The Democrats didn't fight for quality healthcare for the country.
They didn't fight to end the wars (endless, complete waste of our resources).
They didn't fight against Trumps economic policies.
Is anyone else wondering who in Washington is representing working class citizens? I sure wonder.
The Republicans operate solely for the benefit of the rich. The Democrats, apparently, are full of fight for illegal immigrants. Any other issue? Nope.
No one- NO ONE- in either political party cares one iota about working class citizens.
5
It does often feel that way, doesn't it? Especially with the virtual decimation of the labor movement. Still, even on their very worst day, Democrats are not as practically or philosophically obscene as the Republican Cosa Nostra.
4
Which party is the only one to have raised the minimum wage, expanded healthcare, bailed out the auto industry, and passed worker safety, health, benefits, and rights legislation? Hint: it ain't the Republicans. Wake up and realize a Democrat is the working American's ONLY friend in government.
4
It's just willful blindness to say that Democrats care about nothing but illegal immigrants. It's not even just immigration that caused this, if you'd read the article.
Who fights for healthcare for all? Who fights to increase minimum wages? Who fights for environmental protections? And reasonable corporate regulation? And consumer protections? And rules to make financial institutions more responsible and transparent in their decision making? Who fights against tax breaks for the richest among us? The Democrats.
And who opposes them ever step of the way? Republicans.
4
What bad journalism this is. The article does not explain the positions of the parties in their negotiations on the substantive issues. Was CHIP in the Republican proposal or not?
1
Thank you, Senate Democrats. Thank you for standing up to this tyrant.
10
Title seems biased - blaming Democrats. Graham wasn't even on board.
6
Thank You Democrats and few Republicans for standing up to Tyranny and standing for the Constitution.
2
Government Shutdown? How do you tell the difference?
1
I just read that Mitch Mc Connel voted No along with Rand Paul . Am I reading that right . They voted against their own bill ?
2
Wow, it only took a government shutdown to keep Trump in Washington over the weekend. I’ll bet $1,000 dollars he’s back at Mar-a-lardo next weekend, deal or no deal.
2
Republicans have been in power for a year now, and they look weak, dazed and confused about how to lead our nation. Pathetic!
4
Very biased framing of the vote in this report. To wit: 5 Dems. voted for the bill and 5 Repubs. voted against the bill. Obviously, if the 5 Repubs. had voted for the bill, it would have had the necessary 60 votes. In fact the Dems. provided enough votes for the bill to pass if all the Repubs. had voted for the bill. Also, as the majority party the Repubs. can shape the battlefield as it were but they were refused to craft legislation that would have gotten the votes of the 5 Repubs .or the votes of more Dems. to pass the bill. Why not frame it more accurately as a failure of Repub. leadership to put together legislation that would have passed the Senate? Very disappointed in this article. I suggest you edit it fora more accurate interpretation of the voting and you will still be standing behind your reporting but correcting your flawed interpretation of the vote.
6
I don't get it. Democrats are "negotiating" with Trump as if he we're a normal, mentally functioning human being instead of what he really is - a criminal.
4
I don't know- all I see is "Kill Bill" and think QT was a premonitionist. Oh is premonitionist not a word? Neither is cofefe.
If George Romney were elected President, we wouldn’t be in the midst of this shutdown, not to mention the racial divide and chaos Trump has created by his narcissistic, childish, mercurial, behavior. QED
Way to do Trump and GOP. Can’t wait until November. Bye, bye
3
The vote started 44 minutes ago. Is Mitch McConnell napping? Can't get to the floor to vote? Strange.
Happy 1st year anniversary Mr Trump! Unbelievable job, so ...amazing, and this performance.. A Tour de Force! Maybe, .. someone... get Donald a cake and a party hat?. Meanwhile, HELLO! would the adults in the room (we can SEE you!) please get on with governance. It's what actual adults do.
2
What a travesty these Senate Republicans continue to force us Americans to endure. Who are these people fighting for? Certainly not the vast majority of Americans. They show us time and again their lack of responsibility and basic expressions of humanity with their rewriting of the tax code to favor the rich 1% and deny healthcare for the innocent children incapable of even begging for it. They legislate by decree; they legilise greed; they marginalize ALL minorities including duly elected representatives to both chambers. What is going on?
6
DJT: “I want to thank him because we’re trying to cut down on payroll, and as far as I’m concerned, I’m very thankful that he let go of a large number of people, because now we have a smaller payroll,”
About Putin. Aug. 10, 2017
2
I don't get it. Mitch McConnell blames the Democrats, but he voted WITH the Democrats
3
Great. Keep it shut until Trump *resigns*. Stop appeasing that monster. The executive branch has been hijacked by loons. Deny them the funds top operate.
3
Dems, they are placing full on blaming you - Time to fight back !
1
Makes sense Dems, shut down the entire government tonight because in March there is a DACA deadline. Oh, the short term fix is 30 days and it expires before DACA in March but go ahead and shut her down.
1
Where is the Art in this Deal?
Midnight cowboys.
Deep in the dispute is white supremacy and how the Republicans have
been taken over with racist attitudes and policies.
2
Maybe this problem can be solved with more fake news awards and golfing at Mar-a-Lago
5
Shut it down, shut it down, let it rain, let it rain...short of civil war, a shut down is our most effective means...maybe Federal workers who are laid off will tAke to the streets a'la Arab Spring! We need a Movement if not a Revolution....
1
This is what happens when republicans in the electoral college appoint their pompous crony into the oval office, even though he lost The Vote of the People by close to 3,000,000 ballots. This is what happens when gerrymandering does the same thing on a state by state level.
In either case, there is No Democracy to these events. They are the same as a Coup. They Destroy the promise of a Government of the People as efficiently as if a gun were put to our heads, then they take over.
Where have you gone America? When McConnell can actually steal a supreme court seat and not be executed?
When Trump can make a laughing stock out of the USA and not be thrown out on his ear. When his racist hatred flows across our country, shutting down the government because his thin skin didn't get its way?
3
Democrats will do anything to get votes at the expense of all Americans even if the voters are illegal.
4
On behalf of the citizens of the United States I would like to thank the Democrats and the Republicans for proving, once again, that they are worthless.
A big thanks to the Dreamers too. You are contributing so much to the country.
1
This White House is disgusting. Trying to somehow bring the military into this is shameful. As if they will be affected in any way.
4
How long before trump starts calling it the "Trump Shutdown"?
Because that's how narcissistic, recklessly competitive, and utterly stupid this man is.
2
Democrats care more about illegals than they care about US citizens. The democrats , after years of Schumer saying that shutting down government over immigration would be lunacy, they did it anyway. Schumer is the cause of all of this.
3
vote is still open as of 11 pm
Ah, the art of the deal.
1
Hang in Dems. The people are behind you and your quest to save this important undertaking on behalf of the Dreamers.
2
BREAKING: Trump confesses he failed:
“It always happens to be the top. I mean, the problems start from the top and have to get solved from the top,”
“The president is the leader, and he’s got to get everybody in a room and he’s got to lead.”
3
The GOP keeps accumulating more and more power and it keeps becoming more and more absolutists. The party has been thoroughly infiltrated by the wave of latter day fascist from a Hungary and other Soviet occupied countries.
But emigres such as Gorka are more interested in gathering absolutist power, here Or elsewhere. Our public discourse in the past has frequently been elevated by emigres.
But these are people with an agenda that far too often is not In step with our democratic traditions. To many want to weld their versions of how they see what we sgphould be.
5
Thank God Dems are finally standing up in protest against the fake republican scheme under the guise of a fake president, fake tax payer, charlatan. stand up and shut down, unless basic American values on immigration and laws for working AMERICANS are upheld.
5
That smile on Mitch McConnell is all I need to see. The alternative Universe of the Republican party is now leading America into the battle of the insane leading the insane.
All the fools in Washington will receive their just legal due, soon.
We the people are not being conned by this group any longer.
As Trump's good New York friend, and Fox News pretender Jeanine Pirro said recently, "I believe in the rule of law." and "I will pay the consequences."
Robert Mueller is not a fool. Repeat. Robert Mueller is not a fool.
1
Just take all the richies´ money and finance the government, pay for health care and decent salaries for all. Oh, that was 1789 in France. Let´s do it again. Now we have SUV´s and more weapons. To the barricades friends!
1
So this is how all this winning feels. Wow.
2
the first pay stoppage should be Congress Salaries if they dont get this resolved. Tax payers don't send these people to Washington to get nothing done... Fire all of them.....
1
Happy anniversary mr president!
2
Children as a bargaining chip! A new low Mr. President!
7
Congratulations to the Democrats you sealed your fate for the 2018 midterms it is a GREAT day for President Trump and the Republican party. Democrats put illegals over the health, safety and welfare of American Citizens, every Democrat up for reelection this year will face the wrath of their constituents who are American Citizens and Americans won't forget. Even in deep blue states the Republican Party has just secured a HUGE foothold to take those seats. So the Republican party will get a super majority in November and it will end the Democratic party once and for all. The Democrats also just showed to the world just how weak they are and have exposed this nation to attack by countries like North Korea. Liberals across the country need to pat themselves on the back. Millions of American children lose CHIP insurance, many of those children could literally die and any blood shed or loss of life puts that blood on the hands of the Democrats.
3
The Republicans cynically killed CHIP to use it later as a cudgel against the Democrats. Only fools would miss this point and vote for Republicans in November.
4
I agree with you.
There are tens of thousands of citizens suffering in the city I live in. They need help. They deserve help.
They need quality healthcare. Which party threatened a shutdown to help them with that?
They need good jobs. Which party threatened a shutdown to help them with that?
The Democratic Party has NEVER, in my lifetime, stood up for working class citizens. Now they have completed their pivot- they are a party obsessed with illegal immigrants. No one else matters. No other policy is worth fighting for.
And they will destroy the entire country if they do not get everything they want in regards to their new primary constituents.
3
It is about time that the Democrats showed some 'backbone' and don't back down. DACA should stay intact and there is no reason to add more military spending other than to line the pockets of those that make weaponry. We have enough weapons to destroy the world. The notion of telling the world that we are not up to date with our weaponry is ridiculous. We need some smart people to run this country and thus far we have some bullying dodo brains.
4
I want the Democratic Party to fight for working citizens.
Are they doing that right now? I don't think so.
They drew their line in the sand over illegal immigrants. They are fighting for those folks- and many millions of citizens will suffer.
They are not fighting for decreased military spending. Or healthcare. Or any policy that helps citizens.
4
Sounds like Trump the Great Dealmaker blocked the passage of the CR. Just like he blew up negotiations last week with his ill-advised, profane outburst.
With the Republicans in control of both the House, the Senate and Presidency, why the brinksmanship? They have played this same game for the last 8 years.
Threaten shutdown so they can force Democrats to make enormously unpopular concessions. If it doesn’t work, then blame Democrats. Of course, the fact that millions of people are affected doesn’t bother these power hungry politicians.
Republicans know how to get elected. They just can’t govern.
4
Your headline is deceptive. How can the Democrats be responsible for a shutdown when the GOP controls both houses? There is a difference between ‘fair and balanced’ and pandering to the regime.
2
I doubt the great dealmaker Trump could even make a bed.
4
Why is the Trump gala charging $130,000 per couple ?
Strange price point.
1
Government shutdown is a banana republic bargaining chip, We are not there yet, but with Republican help we can get closer and closer to Waddy Allen's "Bananas" movie classic, a fit celebration for POTUS' first year in office. SAD!
1
The party of "family values" is the party of the poor white man disenfranchised and feeling as if he has nothing left except the hope of a white nation. The is the mantra of the alt-right and it is what got Trump elected.
From the Boston Globe:
"America is getting more diverse every year. By mid-century, it looks as if the United States may become a majority-minority nation, a place where whites make up less than half the population — while African-Americans, Asians, Hispanics, and other minority groups together account for slightly more."
1
Too bad that Donald won't be play golf this weekend. My heart goes out to him.
1
The Trump nightmare continues. Nothing will be settled until the 2018 elections and we find out if you can “fool all of the people all of the time.”
1
Why is so difficult to say that the entire Republican party is in thrall to billionaires! Just say it, it's true, despicable though it may be!
3
Our federal government is in hock up to it’s eyeballs. We need people who love this country enough, to exercise their right and obligation to vote and get involved in their communities. Universal healthcare, a woman’s right to say many things including metoo, a year’s service by everyone to their country at 16. We need today’s Hamilton’s, Madison’s, Washington’s, Jefferson’s, Adam’s to step up and right our nation. Money has taken over, worldwide mafia, the corporate world, pharma, insurance, the industrial military blah, blah, Bhakti Baka.
It’s time get real about everything in our world, the food we eat, the water we drink. The ecosystems that at being destroyed, the frogs, bees, bats, most of our ecosphere is disappearing and we won’t survive without the rest of the animal kingdom because we are part in parcel with it all. Can man realize that he doesn’t have all the answers that science isn’t always right(think Monsanto) and that Mother Nature knows best(thinking of the imperial margarine ad)and in the end is calling all the shots.
Mankind will be a blip on the the history of the earth if we fail to realize what we need to do to save our time here for future generations to come, like the seventh generation. Pura Vida.
2
The end of a perfect year.
2
Since the ruling body has been unresponsive to providing mind-control reports then the shutdown will make no difference.
This is Trump's fault; they gave him a bipartisan bill and he blew it.
4
McConnell amended. The shutdown will be over soon.
This shut down is on Trump and the Republicans. The ransom they seek to hold the government hostage is sickening. Stay strong Democrats and dont pay the devil.
1
You can't make a deal with someone is not trustworthy.
'Dishonest Donnie' is the model of not being trustworthy.
Better to slug it out. GOP will pay Big Time in November.
2
It's about time the Republicans get a taste of their own medicine. You reap what you sow.
2
Cruel and incompetent. Or is it incompetent and cruel? The Trump legacy, one year in. Please hurry, Mr. Mueller!
2
What is the story with Eric Prince and the extra money that the House appropriated for some sort of new "intelligence" entity?
Is there going to be a "Secret Police Force?" A modern-day "Don Don Macoute?"
1
All the Democrats need to say to Republicans is :
over and over and over again.....
Give us a stand alone vote for CHIP
Give us a stand alone vote for DACA
Period.
2
The GOP is right on board when it comes to long term tax breaks to line the pockets of their wealthy donors. The Democrats have refused to let them use the lives of children as bargaining chips. It’s a mistake to see DACA as an isolated issue: DACA is a referendum on what America means and what we stand for, which is—despite our egregious lapses—a modicum of fairness and compassion for the vulnerable. That’s why the Democratic Party, which has now become the keeper of American values as the GOP has sold itself to an administration where paying off porn stars garners a shrug, is holding fast against this President drag all of us, everyone of us, down into this slime of ignorance, hatred, and lies.
2
Maybe, just maybe, this time they'll find that 2 tillion dollars from 2000/2001 they lost. That would come in handy for this.
2
Did we save the shutdown signs from the last shutdown so we didn't have to print them again? We need to store them for the next shutdown as a cost saving measure.
3
Economy doing great new jobs investments in our country being announced daily. What could possibly go wrong. Clown Schumer shutting down the government over 800,000 people who were not supposed to be here in the first place over 300 million who are supposed to be here.Wow that makes sense and there is still time to work out a deal on DACA.
7
If you read the facts, rather than the Republican propaganda, you can see that Democrats are fighting for funds for opioid victims and their families, support for hurricane victims (and you are in Kitty Hawk, so caring about hurricane victims is an issue of likely relevance to you in the future), veterans' benefits, and other domestic concerns in addition to protecting 800,000 people who serve in our military, teach in our classrooms, and in many other ways are valued members of our communities.
2
The Republicans hold children hostage, demanding we hurt young immigrants and the people of Puerto Rico, or Republicans will let our kids go without healthcare.
They want us to choose whose life is protected, whose life is harmed. Not because they must, just because they think they can.
9
The Dems are right to dig in because Trump and the GOP are playing a game called “Bring me a Rock”. One side says bring me a rock and the other dutifully complies but the first side declares, “This is not a rock! Bring me a rock!” The outlines essentially follow the Myth of Syssiphus. There is no end and the game is designed to be a stalemate with no winners. So the Dems are right. The administration can’t expect a better outcome unless it comes forth in negotiation. The Dems have put their cards on the table, they’ve shown their rock. Time for Trump and co. To declare their intentions. Like big boys and girls.
6
REALITY: there was nothing in the bill that the democrats oppose so i agree the dems are at fault QED
2
So the GOP, in control of the White House, Senate and Congress is blaming the minority party for a shut down? Well, I know that blaming minorities for everything is kind of their Modus Operandi right now, but I hoped they could remember that they used to be the party of "personal responsibility". What a shame.
7
The Democrats shutdown the government, period. The price they’ll pay is yet to come.
3
History would say you're wrong. The last shutdown was also while R's controlled everything and they were blamed by an overwhelming majority of voters.
Emperor Donald the First thinks he can dictate to everybody, especially Democrats.
We will see on November 6, 2018 who makes the really important decisions in this democracy.
Emperor Donald fails to understand that he works for us, We the People.
4
The blame will go to the Democrats. Maybe Obama and Hillary had a part in this? That is the way the GOP rolls.
3
We should be working on comprehensive immigration and healthcare plans, not using DACA and CHIP as bargaining tools.
1
CHIP was not a bargaining tool. The Republicans approved funding of that program.
The Democratic Party is using CHIP as a tool to get DACA.
2
Give to the rich and steal from the poor. What is America coming to?
7
Extend DACA one year, extend CHIP three years, fund the government for a year and put it before the stable genius. Then get on with immigration reform and a permanent children's health program, good grief.
4
Considering Constitutionally mandated separation of powers, why is the Senate Democrat minority leader meeting with the Executive branch> Shouldn't Schemer be huddling with fellow Democrats? It just seems something is wrong if Trump invites only one man to talk.
1
The idea that Republicans think they can hang this on the minority party is absurd and insulting to the intelligence of this average American.
8
Again and again, the GOP betray not just America, but human decency itself.
6
I do not understand why or how the Republicans are blaming the Democrats. Five (5) Republicans voted with the Democrats............Our so-called Congress should resign - every last one of them. Or at the very least their pay should be docked for the time the government is closed.
6
"The right guy would get everybody in a room and make a deal". Trump is not the right guy.
5
Mitch McConnell votes against his own bill! Now that’s a headline! Five Democrats also voted for it! Five Republicans against. Blame the Democrats? What about blaming Trump the Tweeter? Maybe he can distinguish a wrong clock face from a right one but he surely cannot read people or cut a deal that’s not scripted by Hollywood.
5
Finally the democrats are growing a spine and starting to fight back.
4
It is not only disingenuous but down right disgusting to see Mitch McConnell up there talking about childrens health care as if he really cared. Mitch, I’m sure if you wanted to you could pass a no strings attached bill to keep CHIP funded, but since it was republicans that decided to let CHIP expire anyway my guess is you won’t. You’d rather use CHIP as a barganing chip (no pun intended) to extract concessions out of the democrats. Well, I applaud the democrats for not wanting to play that game.
7
While the millionaires in charge go home to their mansions, and while Trump runs off to his $100,000-a-ticket party for himself at a golf resort probably paid for by laundered Russian money, tens of thousands of government workers and soldiers go without pay.
Very Patriotic Indeed, Republicans. Genius, Trump.
I think it's about time we ended the practice of putting the very richest in charge of our government. They really do not care about anyone but themselves--will the 60 million Trumpers never understand that?
9
BREAKING: Trump speaks about the shutdown:
“Here’s the truth, the gov't doesn’t shutdown. All essential services continue. Don't believe lies."
1
"Mr. Trump may travel on Air Force One to carry out his constitutional responsibilities, including a planned trip next week to Davos, Switzerland." Government shuts down but the so-called president can still go hobnob with the out of touch elites at Davos on our dime. Shows his priorities.
5
"posed risks for both parties"
I don't care about the risk to either...what about to us/US?!
2
The most comically disingenuous statement keeps coming from the lips of Mitch McConnell. He says the Democrats are playing politics. Well, Mitch, you're a great example of why we need term limits for Senators.
1
In the midst of this government operating as a theatre of the absurd articles continue to note that a range of hard working federal employees will not be paid; amongst other outcomes.What I have yet to read, or hear, is that the very elected policy makers, the interacting "actors," posturing, blaming, denying, and even not hearing, in this violating, farcical, American as apple pie comedie will not be paid their ill earned salaries as well! What I can not fathom, understand, and accept, is that as we focus on the flu during this winter's flu period we pay no attention to a year long epidemic of willful blindness, deafness and ignorance to what is, that need not, and should not BE. And the non-existence of what is critical to continuing to create and sustain the equitable well being of America; OUR normed menschlich traditions. Opportunities.Documented mutual trust.Mutual respect. Caring, and help when needed. As we, family, friends, neighbors and strangers, slowly acknowledge, and overcome, human constructed discrimination. Hatreds against...Stigmatizing. Marginalizing. Excluding.
As we choose to meet the challenges represented by actual and virtual vertical institutionalized, anchored barriers, and walls, by investing in creating actual and virtual viable inviting horizontal bridges for equitable well being for ALL.Wherever! With open, welcoming, out-reaching hands and fingers instead of white knuckled-closed fists! Our government closed temporarily.Chronic closed minds?
Republicans just chose to allow small children to die without healthcare the week after approving tax cuts for billionaires.
Sick and rotten to the core.
4
Heck of a job running the government Republicans!
We need to vote these clowns working exclusively for the rich out of office in November.
3
There’s no gambling going on. The Democrats see, correctly, that the Republicans plan to avoid negotiating anything by taking hostages. Serial hostage taking. In January, take the children hostage—do as we say, or we’ll let the children die, and it’ll be all your fault. Then in late February, take the Dreamers hostage—do as we say or we’ll deport the Dreamers and it’ll be all your fault. And all this without negotiating anything—they go behind closed doors and come out with yet another demand and another hostage.
Ultimately, you can’t give in to hostage takers, whether they’re foreign enemies, terrorists, or the majority party in Congress. So it’s no gamble by the Democrats; they’ve decided they have to call the Republicans on hostage taking, and now is the time, rather than a month from now, or never.
3
I thought government by one party system was only used by communists, fascists, and various other unsavoury dictatorial regimes.
I guess the Democrats are trying to teach the GOP that considered compromise is part of governing in a democracy.
I doubt they will get very far. The GOPs anti-democratic credentials are strong and growing.
It is interesting to watch the death throws of democracy in America, from far away. Probably not so interesting to the roughly 55% of Americans who do not support autocratic rule.
2
The Greedy Old Party vs. Spineless Dems continue to disrespect their constituents. What happened to a "representative government?" Shutdown hysteria is symbolic and I hope the minority party gives Mitch McConnell a"taste of his own medicine."
2
so four Republicans voted against the bill and five Democrats voted for it, putting it over 50%. So how are Democrats to blame for the shutdown? McConnell in blaming Democrats looks ridiculous and proves that he is a demagogue and liar.
4
The government has been shut down for quite some time now.
5
Nothing like passing a bill like the house did and then the House Republicans left town. There is no way this can be the Democrat fault for that reason alone. There is a women's march today and those same Republicans left knowing they could have been besieged with maybe hundred of thousands. The is one one for the, CORWADS,
2
1) Please stop using the term “deal” when talking about legislation. This just encourages trump to think he’s a ceo of some company. And we know he likes to declare bankruptcy
2) Schumer do not agree to pay for this inane wall, you know it’s an inane waste of money
3) fund PR recovery, Chip and support DACA - people whose education we have paid for and need to help our country continue to evolve.
4
The United States of America deserves better than these budget nuissances. At the core if this, it lies the dysfunctional GOP who cannot govern even when in the majority
1
Senator McConnell's statement suggests Dreamers are criminals, which just made him part of the Trump conspiracy to push all 800,000 of them out after the Republican leader had supported regularizing their status.
These young people, contributors or future contributors to society once out of school, didn't decide to violate immigration law, their parents brought them here. How can McConnell declare a three old a criminal. With his words about the Dreamers, he just won a Simon Legree Award.
If Senator McConnell ever indulges in moral reflection, he might recall that way back in the early to mid 20th Century. the same ugly things (or worse) were being said about people of Asian extraction, which led to what was known as the Chinese Exclusion Act. Fortunately, the Senator's wife. now a cabinet member, came of age in a better time.
If Democrats don't stand for principle now. they won't later, which the President knows. Voting yes to a one month budget greases the skids for the ethnic cleansing of the Dreamers, simply because most hail from Trump's outhouse nations, though the Dreamers only home is America.
4
The Republicans have shown they don't give a whit about anything but their own bank accounts. Why should they care about deporting the Dreamers from the only country they've ever known? Why should they care about millions of other children who can no longer obtain the health care they need? The Democrats were forced into the position of defeating a bill that was meant, in passing, only to humiliate them (The Wall? Get serious) - except for four Democratic Senators from Red states who were scared they wouldn't get re-elected, including the newly arrived Doug Jones of Alabama, whose "yes" vote was disgustingly the same as a Roy Moore "yes" vote, and Bill Nelson of Florida, whose state is jam-packed both with DACA kids and CHIP kids. Shame on both you cowards.
We don't need Democrats in Congress in 2018 so much as we need progressives in Congress. I would suggest that these four turncoat Senators face some liberal opposition in the primaries.
2
The republican congress comes full circle : no more Obama to blame, but it's own ideological divide. As goes the expression, the King is naked.
4
It will be remembered that Democrats thought that illegal aliens were more important than American citizens. That point will be hammered into the collective memories of those citizens when it comes time to vote.
4
"Democrats Ready to Gamble to Win Policy Concessions"
If the Republicans would act like that, the NYT headline might be:
"Republicans bent on shutting down government to force through issues they lost on in the election"
As to Trump, he has refrained to date to say what Obama said when faced with Congressional obstructionism :
"Elections have Consequences, I won"
2
The FAR-RIGHT Republicans in the House wrote this CR without ANY discussion with any Democrat.
If you write a bill in the back room in secret, why would you expect anyone not a party to the writing to agree with you? Because you DEMAND that agreement? GO POUND SAND.
Unless the Republicans drop the "Hastert Rule" (named after disgraced Speaker Denny Hastert, a criminal), which is just a PRACTICE and not a rule, under which no bill that fails to attract a majority of Republicans ever comes up for a vote in the House, NOTHING WILL GET DONE. Paul Ryan needs to understand that the House is a major impediment to getting anything done the way they act now.
VOTE OUT ALL THE REPUBLICANS in the House in November 2018, so that bipartisan negotiation will come back into favor.
Republicans OWN this, because the control both Houses of Congress and the Presidency, and nevertheless, they contnue to prove that they have no idea how to govern.
2
"A shutdown falls on the President's lack of leadership. He can't even control his party and get people together in a room. A shutdown means the President is weak"
-Donald Trump 2013
4
I don't understand why Mitch McConnell is smiling in the photo of your article. Did he get what he wants: blaming the Democrats for doing what the Republicans have done several times themselves: holding the country hostage while they fight in Congress? The Republicans are notorious for not taking responsibility for their own self-serving decisions that hurt our country and our citizens. In a way, I'm glad the Democrats finally had enough courage to stand up for what they believe in.
20
There is no question that Democrats shut down the government. They even refused the CHIP extension in favor if illegals. Schumer, who declared before that shutting the government over immigration issues would be insanity, did it anyway.
3
As one of the affected Federal workers, I must work for no pay for an indefinite length of time, in violation of the 13th Amendment. Because the Federal exchequer is not responsible to pay us during the furlough, however lenghty. Trump, who hates the Federal civil service, is going to use this hiatus to cause many of my coworkers to fold and seek employment elsewhere. Eventually the attrition may be dealt with by hiring low-grade newbies whose pay is half of ours.
1
Trump doesn't know what he wants. He only knows what he's against -- and that includes just about everything.
I refreshed myself by reading about history of DACA.
It shows that this Illinois senator has been trying this since 2001 - before 9/11 during time of 43rd.
It finally got a vote in the Congress in 2014 (with 44th) or so, where it failed.
Convincing his buddy in the White House - the 44th - begat the DACA.
So, let's remember again that DACA happened because the Congress did not agree to the bill by Illinois senator ( joined by a Utah Sen about to retire)
So to me, it seems outrageous that this same senator is holding a gun against a country when his bill failed "regular order."
No wonder, many members are unwilling to go along with this threat.
A bill of this magnitude if done in regular order once took some 10 years - and he wants it now done in 24 hours.
Whip is kidding who??
4
I guess having empathy and taking care of children who were brought to this country illegally without any fault of their own requirea 10 years to figure out. I don't think so.
Trump is fully responsible for the shutdown. He seems willing to make a deal but is allowing hardliners like Kelly and Miller to pull his strings, so he makes a deal and then immediately jerks back on it when he gets blowback from those two. Because he is so ideologically barren, he can’t stick to anything for more than a few minutes. Both parties have agreed several times to compromises, but each time, for no reason, Trump has squashed them. Imagine what other world leaders are seeing and thinking. Those like Putin and Xi see a weak puppet they can easily maneuver, and countries like Germany and France see a frightening spectacle of incompetence. I’m not worried that if Dems are blamed for this, voters will remember. They will not, because every day a new crisis of stupidity occurs with Trump, so by November it will be far in the rear view mirror.
7
Geez, do your job Senators. This state we have got ourselves into is horrible. For all those who castigated me for saying Democrats are obstructionists by referring to the obstructionism of the Republicans when Obama was in office...I thought that was horrible too. I have been appalled - first by how Republicans acted when Obama was there and now how Democrats act that Trump is there. We are fairly evenly split in the country to the point of punishment for the entire body politic and gridlock. That is why I despair for America. Each party demands what it wants to the nuclear option. I am so fed up with both. But in this argument, I would like to see the Dreamers allowed to stay, but no more chain migration. I have no beef at all with legal immigrants, but I voted for Trump to address the illegal immigration issue that was not being addressed for decades. Now all the people here illegally feel entitled and scream how mean we are. What a bad situation that has been allowed to fester and grow.
5
How Mitch McConnell has the gall to blame the Democrats while he and four other Republicans voted against the measure is beyond me. That's the absolute height of hypocrisy.
Had McConnell not locked the Democrats out of the tax bill process perhaps the result would have been different. You reap what you sew.
9
McConnell's no was theoretically procedural. Hilariously, in the insane world of the GOP TP ii is not actually nyet. It's like the guy saying, "yes officer I shot the guy, but it was not my gun, so technically I did not shoot the guy". It was a no vote however they spin it. And Mitch failed to mention a thing about Paul's no vote.
This one is on the Democrats. Let's see how the Trump administration manages it: Obama's policy was to make shutdowns as scary and inconvenient for citizens as possible.
Schumer has placed party over country. Let's see how he slithers out of that.
6
The GOP controls all three branches. The GOP has decided to pander to Trump’s base instead of governing for the majority. The Dems are using the McConnell playbook and McConnell is angry? The only thing the Dems are doing wrong is that they need to also get this tax scam reversed too, so they should keep the government shut until then!!!!!
How can you start the article "How Every Senator Voted" by saying that Senate Democrats blocked the bill when an equal number of Republicans, including Mitch McConnell voted no to obviously offset the number of Democrats who voted yes.
You should have started the article by saying that Republicans torpedoed any attempt to pass their own measure.
9
The GOP has held the majority in Congress 13 of the last 17 years. They are the establishment. Do not give me this "both sides" rubbish.
9
It seems President Trump has played moves really well. It puts pressure on and also makes room for immigration hardliners, the likes of brilliant Senator Ted Cruze to make just the minimum concessions for chalking a legal path to US residents with no legal status.
Think post-shutdown there shall be a just resolution.
1
Partisan brawling is consuming a great nation. The Democrats and the Republicans are both willing to put party above country. A cursory examination of the record of the last few shutdowns shows the principles of both parties saying the exact opposite of what they are saying now! The hypocrisy is amazingly obvious and the Democrats are now doing exactly what the Republicans have done in the past but for even less reason. While the Republicans shut down government to try to prevent the Obamacare debacle which effected 1/6 of the US economy, the Democrats are shutting down government for illegal immigrants!
It is amazing to me, at least, that any party could intentionally damage the US citizenry. as they have repeatedly said. solely over DACA!
At least this time Trump will try to mitigate the effect of the shutdown rather than exacerbate it as Obama did.
1
Trump has now shown us that he is not the hotshot deal maker he professes to be. When Sen. Mitch McConnell says that he has no idea what the president wants then it’s pretty clear his inability to communicate and coordinate his position(s) to his own party is the reason our gov’t is now shut down.
The Republicans will go into contortions to try to pin this on Sen. Chuck Schumer, but that’s not going to fly. People know; we all know that this all happened because Trump blew up a bipartisan compromise and then could never figure out what to do next.
6
This would have been the fourth Continuing Resolution. Republicans may claim to support DACA but have been kicking the can down the road refusing to make a decision while attempting to hold DACA recipients hostage to their agenda. They had until March ... That is just two more CR's away with solid indications that Republicans would never compromise with Democrats. After three previous concessions, Democrats finally said no. Why would Republicans expect anything else?
3
"Government by crisis" and 'government by bickering' is the perfect name for our form of government. It seems to fit right in there with anti-democratic systems. Factional Government is another term which seems suitable to our situation. One-upmanship is another suitable term for the Congressional deliberative technique where both sides point the finger at each other for blame.
I call it childishness, immaturity, unstatesmanlike behavior, conduct unbecoming, and incompetence; all behaviors which would lead to the dismissal of the employee (each and every Congressmen is nothing more than your employee).
Did Mcconnell really vote no? How on earth can he blame the Democrats if he voted no? The NY Times headline also blaming Democrats is equally upsetting. It's as if reporters have completely forgotten the basic fact of which party controls both the house and senate.
8
the article says (1) it needed 60 votes to pass and (2) McConnell's vote was "procedural." I hope someone explains this.
1
As a Veteran, believing in The USA, I find it appalling that an agreement over an illegal people could not be reached. Or for the fact that Congress is even talking about it. I must Obey all laws. So does others. Our laws should have been imposed from the beginning.
4
Given the excesses and authoritarianism by the President and the GOP, Democrats should stand their ground.
4
We have a sick, twisted person in the White House and a failed Congress. It is wrecking our country.
Please, please fellow citizens, in coming elections, help get out the vote. We need to elect fair-minded men and women of good will, with statesmen like attitudes. Patriots who will work for the good of ALL American citizens -instead of themselves or their"base". What we have working for us in Washington is not serving our country well. Let's vote in some fair-minded, fresh thinking. We have to do this or we're lost.
1
How does any Democrat or any thinking and fair American trust McConnell or of course honest D. Trump?
The Negotiator just lost one.
3
"After Senate Democrats blocked the bill" says the headline.
BUT - it fell ONE vote short, and Mitch McConnell voted AGAINST it! Had the Senate Republican Majority Leader voted for his own bill, it would have passed, but somehow Dems are responsible?
4
No, it ”fell well short of the 60 votes necessary.“ I suspect, though the article does not explain, that the procedural reason Senator McConnell voted no was a possible motion to reconsider.
1
The GOP owns this shutdown lock, stock, and barrel. It is not lost on the public that past actions did not require them to deal with the Democrats and others in Congress. They did not once seek to involve any other views. They have chosen to meet in secret; away from the eyes of Americans. No doubt they will use their spin doctors to spew lies. However, we've had seats to heir clear majority, which it used to shove tax cuts that strongly favor of the wealthiest and corporate America while decimating healthcare for millions, including children (CHIP), rolling back regulations, inserting themselves into the private lives of woman, and destroying the environment. This is the first time they've been mandated to get more than their 50 votes. Bravo to the Democrats for taking a firm stand. Now let's hope that the previous bi-partisan legislation that existed for CHIP and DACA gets passed.
6
This whole mess makes me angry and disgusted. I worked for the #3 in the Senate GOP leadership! We worked all the time with Kennedy, Harkin, Mikulski, Dodd, Feinstein. The list could go on and on. What’s happ
ened to statesmanship, collegiality, putting one’s country ahead of one’s political beliefs? A bit of catharsis, but this is above the pale.
3
Stop talking about the 10 senate Democrats from "red" states. Trump is not really popular there either. This is not a political gamble for the Democrats. The Republicans control the entire government and will be blamed for this. The majority of Americans agree with the stance of the Democrats.
4
Trump is the President. The Republicans control both Houses of Congress. Throughout the Trump administration, the Republican Party has consistently made politics and self-aggrandizement their top priority, to the detriment of the country and most of the people in it. If they won't govern then whatever it is that they're doing instead needs to be stopped.
6
I was wondering how they were going to fund that extra $1.5 trillion to be added to the debt due to the Trump Tax Scam. Now we know they cannot even agree on a debt ceiling on the present debt. The Republicans pulled this action while Obama was President so we should not be surprised that they are using this strategy now. I cannot wait for November when we can clean house!
On the other hand, is this not what uber conservatives Republicans have wanted all along, to cut government down to the barest minimum of services? Shouldn't the resistance also ask Republicans and the public, "who benefits, and why?" as CHIP and DACA, puny programs in terms "bang for the buck"falter, along with the national government? And will a real leader actually rise from the Dems (not just the current crowd of pretenders)?
Republican ideology demands limited government. Thanks to Republican intransigence, non-essential Government has been shutdown. Now is the time for the Republicans to declare victory and move on.
3
Overall, by my lights, the Repubs, because they control the government, will be hurt more by this shutdown than the Dems. You can't blame the employees for the employer's policies, procedures, and pronouncements. So, although it's a mixed blessing, the Dems are ahead on points. In fact, the Dems couldn't lose in this fight; they can be bloodied, though: Repubs' propaganda will be flooding our fruited plains for some time over this debacle, which will shore up concerns among the base and ultimately dismiss any political culpability. Nonetheless, the needle, I think, will be moved: Dems will be seen as the better Americans, better governors, better friends.
I suggest that all members of Congress, the President and the Supreme Court have ALL remuneration terminated upon the time of the shut down. This would include salary, pension contribution, health insurance premiums, travel expenses, staff costs and office expenses. This would include ALL Presidential staff [cooks, cleaning personal, food, utilities and travel]. The lost remuneration also would not be paid retroactive to shut down. They'd be stuck in Washington or wherever on their cost, until the shut down terminated. Until it hits THEIR pocket books, they have nothing to loose.
1
The Republicans have been campaigning for many years now on the themes of "government is the problem", "small government", etc. They do not actually want the federal government to exist, as it prevents states from doing as they please. It goes back to slavery. So this is result was inevitable. We can say "but Republicans hold the Senate, House, and White House, so it must be Democratic obstruction", but the truth is that they wanted the shutdown. Trump even campaigned on the need for a "good shutdown". By which we can interpret his intention as a shutdown for good, i.e., forever. Without the federal government's oversight, many of the questionable (if not outright corrupt) business practices Republicans support or engage in would be "legitimate." Don't be fooled: they wanted this, they got it, and now they'll pretend to be shocked.
Isn’t that exactly what Trump has always wanted: weaken the government. Or even better no government. It’s obvious that the services most affected are the ones Trump isn’t eager to keep up anyway: like Puerto Rico help, health programs for children. But of course he will blame the democrats anyway. A win win situation for him.
This crisis would’ve been avoided if mr. Trump was a real negotiator. He stirred the fire, no he has his shutdown.
1
I recall some polling stats from yesterday, essentially who should be blamed for a shutdown, the GOP, the Dems, or the president. What I found most interesting was the fourth option, all of them. Most interesting of all this choice was only 10%! Only 10%!! This is the same old swamp that Trump claimed he'd cleanup. Pox on all of them.
1
The deconstruction of government continues, courtesy of the Republican Party.
The choice facing voters in the fall and in 2020 couldn't be starker: do citizens desire rules and regulations that benefit the entire country? Or do they favor a return to the lawless years of the robber barons when kids worked in mines, venal businessmen made fortunes through graft and corruption, the food supply was often too dangerous to eat, and women were forced to stay at home, pregnant and largely uneducated?
Many, perhaps most Americans who are paying attention will decry the conditions that led to this shutdown, no matter how brief it ends up being. But not Republicans. They are rather enjoying the upheaval. And no one is having more fun today than the President, because all the attention will focus on him as the "savior" of the republic.
The Congress has reaped what they've sown. The Immigration issue has been punted to every administration since Ronald Reagan. The DACA Kids are nothing but a political football being punted yet again. Memo to Democrats: If you shut down the Government for the Children of Illegal immigrants who you won't help by building a path to citizenship for their parents you are going lose down the road.
We live in fascinating times. We elected a most unqualified candidate in the hope that he would go to Washington and change the way things are done. A real opportunity was there for the taking. Sadly that was never going to happen now. The Governments inability to compromise is strikingly bad.
Memo to Washington: Independent Voters are watching.
1
The story neglected the fact that funds for children’s health is also being used as a bargaining chip. Putting poor people’s bodies on the line in bargaining is the very definition of deplorable.
Trump will not offer a solution because he is the problem. Democrats had reached a compromise. However, the president finally impressed me by staying in DC amidst the chaos he created singled-handed and not going to golf in Florida this weekend.
Never thought I'd live to see the day when the party that loves government and regulation (and the more the better) votes to shut down the government and furlough its American employees in order to push for rights and benefits for non-citizens. It truly is the world turned upside down,
2
Pretty laughable to hear Mitch McTurtle claim that THIS makes the Senate look incapable of doing its job after his record-setting obstruction during the Obama Presidency.
Mitch is so incapable he failed to notice that 4 Republicans voted Nay with the majority of Democrats, and 5 Democrats voted Yea.
It's pretty clear where the problem on this lies, and it's inextricable from the lies of 45.
2
If Dems do not make this more about the impending loss of social institutions / infrastructure than about very important DACA, Dems will lose 2018 and 2020. Only the deep left cares enough about DACA to make it an important issue to vote on.
C'mon Dems, DACA and CHIP are very important but the shutdown is about more than that: infrastructure, student loans, healthcare for all, etc, ...
1
The Senate’s voting rules are kooky. They can pass tax reform and health insurance with a simple majority. But 60% is needed to pass a 30 day appropriations bill. That’s bipartisan nonsense.
1
He said he was going to run the government like he runs his businesses.
I guess this is the part where he walks away and declares bankruptcy?
1
Republicans can propagandize and blame with the best dictators in history. What they can't do is govern, compromise, use facts and evidence to create policy or defend their positions, create or maintain stability for the American people, or deliver a future based on reality instead of reality TV.
1
Something's wrong with the amount of power the general in the white house has over Donald Trump: Yet another General Kelly's take over:
Chuck Schumer left the White House earlier yesterday believing Trump had warmed to a DACA deal for Dreamers they just discussed.
But it was Kelly who called Schumer later yesterday to say the deal was dead. It was Kelly who made sure the deal died last week also. He was outed as an extreme anti-immigration hardliner when he, along with white nationalist Stephen Miller became alarmed Trump was warm to the Democrats DACA proposal. Immediately Kelly + Miller sprung into action:
Calls were placed to Republicans to get hardliner senators Tom Cotton + David Purdue to get that thought out of Trump's mind.
Trump isn't in charge, Kelly is. This is beyond Orwellian. This is a page out of Manchurian Candidate. And what is Trump doing? Whining he can't party in Mar-a-lago, and tweeting like a spurned teenager.
One year ago to the day was one of the saddest times in my life (and I wager many others)...today is no different as we watch the government shutdown brought on by the worst deal maker in the country. So sad he will miss the money maker party in Florida with all of his other fat cat friends...
The Gerry-Mandered (politically fixed) House and the 37% POTUS continues to forcefully push their distrustful, partisan, Republican agenda on the country that begs for compromise and fairness.
The Senate represents the majority of Americans who want a check on an out-of-control House and POTUS.
I love what these self-inflicted congressional crises often reveal. Whether it is the shutdown, debates about healthcare and sexual assault, or insider trading scandals, we find out time after time that there are two sets of rules: one for the members of Congress and the other for the rest of us.
1
The party in power is the party who is responsible for a Government shut down. The Republicans not only run the majority in the House and Senate but also hold the Presidency. How can they not be to blame? They liked to be known as the party of fiscal responsibility. They have no fiscal responsibility and have not had any since Obama was elected
The Republicans are completely irresponsible in their duties to this country. It is easy to figure out who is to blame. The Republicans!
It is hard to understand how anyone can blame the shutdown on anyone but Mr. Trump. When he rescinded President Obama’s DACA regulations, putting millions of young people who came here with their parents – children can’t break immigration laws - and who voluntarily registered with the government, at risk of being rounded up and deported he said he would sign a clean bill protecting them because he just thought President Obama overreached and Congress should pass a law. Now the government is being shut down because he went back on his word. Then in a monstrous example of political gamesmanship Mitch McConnell, the Snidely Whiplash of the Senate, and Paul Ryan, the Boris Badenov of the House, decided to use the healthcare of millions of children as a bargaining chip. Thank God, the Democrats stood up to these three villainous cretins.
The government is being shutdown because Republicans refuse to work with Democrats, something they have been doing since 2010, and the electorate has been rewarding them for.
I have watched Republican politicians for over 50 years, since Nixon, and most of them are mendacious thugs who only care about the rich. When will Americans wise up to these guys?
Finally, it should be noted that Snidely couldn’t round up 50 Republicans to vote to keep the government open.
So, military families should be absolutely spared all inconvenience, wealthy families and corporations have been given a homerun in tax cuts of 1,500,000,000 dollars, while the short-term funding for other families is getting cynically abused as a bargaining chip to blackmail the Democrats into budgetary subordination, and the families hit hard by the opioid crisis, families needing urgent medical care for their children, families needing hurricane relief, and dreamers, are to be ruthlessly thrown under a no mercy bus and to be withheld any real commitment to funding, but to get shoved and dumped into a shuttered shithouse instead by this shuthouse President, shuthouse administration and shuthouse Congress?
So here is a thought: are the Dreamers actually guilty of illegal immigration? Since they entered the US has babies or very little children brought here by their parents, has the baby or child broken the law or is the crime on the parents? If a hungry father steals food to feed his hungry kids, the kids aren’t charged for being hungry; the father is charged with theft. So, are Dreamers perpetrators of a criminal act when the law would indicate they had no choice and no way to dissent from coming to the US due to their age? Granted, they are in an irregular administrative status which needs to be addressed, but it is not cut-and-dried that they are law-breakers. If the DACA problem is the key impediment to a funding bill, then Congress and the President should approach the solution as an administrative resolution, not a criminal immigration matter.
One of the countless situations lately where a qualified, competent, and well-established politician as president would have made a difference. Instead we have Tweety Bird.
I can only hope that Trump’s Secret Service detail is part of the shutdown. He needs to stay in the Oval Office until this is taken care of, I don’t care how long it takes. No trips to Mar-a-Lago, and especially no golf. He needs to take care of business until the government is up and running again. But then again, he’s a reality TV president, with absolutely no grasp of what “reality” is. And I do not want to hear one word about it being the fault of the Democratic Party. The Republicans own this, lock, stock, and barrel. They have just proved to the nation that they cannot govern their way out of a paper bag. Sad!
After listening to Schumer walk us through the last minute painful process of trying to reason with the unreasonable you've got to ask yourself what were the voters thinking when they hired this "businessman" to leads us "out of the woods." This is a spiteful, unprofessional individual in dire need of learning the "art of the compromise." Sadly, it's not in his DNA.
From my humble perspective, if the Republicans hold the Senate, the House, the Presidency, and if that President bills himself as the world's greatest dealmaker - then blaming Democrats doesn't enter my head.
Not much new. The House and Senate committees had approved and sent to the floor almost all the regular department budgets in July of 2017, 6 months ago. Some with bipartisan support, some not. There has been 6 months for the House and Senate Republican leadership to act on the legislation. That is the problem, not Trump and not Democrats.
8
You Americans must be fools to tolerate such behavior by your politicians. The world cannot believe that such things happen. No doubt Putin is laughing up his sleeve. The Chinese can only be encouraged by these shenanigans. I thought giving aid and comfort to the enemy was treasonable but I guessed wrong.
7
Of course, Mr. Kurtz, live and learn ! If a nation allows a proud educational system to erode to near failure, the end result will be very ugly to witness. Note the failures are to be owned by our elected legislators and the executive administrations, past and present. Trump is loving this quagmire; "drain the swamp" is never to be met. He is a happy pig-in-the-mud.
Our proud result is bourne of attaching crucial legislative issues to simple, but essential funding measures. Both parties have used these tactics to failure.
Putin may be named a Hero of the Russian Federation. He made a good investment.
The Republicans signal their bad faith about the Dreamers by saying it is all about “illegal immigration”. They have no intention of ever acting on DACA, and have to be forced to do so.
9
The reasons the Republicans don’t want to act on DACA is because they should NOT act on DACA. Wow. This is not complicated. It’s complicated because the Democrats want to grant Amnesty to everyone for any reason. Why? Dey are voters, dats why.
1
You might be right. Why are the dreamers the most important thing right now?
The government must function- regardless of what happens to the dreamers and DACA.
You seem to want the Democrats to just be able to force whatever result they want, in regards to the dreamers, on the country.
3
"Mr. Trump . . . did not appear able or willing to suggest his own solution." Speaks volumes.
31
I think the country knows the Republicans are in control of all branches of government and government shutdowns are part of the Republican brand. Haven't they shut down the government down about six times since 1995.
19
Using CHIP to split the DACA vote is eerily similar to Scott Walker's using the labor unions to crush the public unions, time will tell if people have enough backbone to fight the temptation to cave in to such vile tactic.
Sure, people who depend on CHIP would say their children are their priority. But what stop CHIP to be the bargaining chip down the road when the Republicans & Trump know they can hold these people for ransom at will?
12
Well, that's it exactly: you can't give an extortionist what he asks for now, and not expect him to come back later asking for more.
1
I am a NY voter and I say Schumer needs to be replaced, certainly as the Dem's Senate leader. He is weak and ineffective as a leader. His statement about the failure to reach a compromise was weak, sounded to me like a tired old college professor who puts everyone to sleep (nowadays driving everyone to check their smartphones). This is not the first and far from the only failure to effectively lead. The Dems need to hire a good PR firm to state their case and write speeches for them. The GOP has it all over the Dems in making their case to those of the public who are non hard-core Dems. Seems to me as an independent voter the Dems have by far the better position, but it certainly does not come across that way.
19
@expat Morocco
This must be why Democrats are winning even solid Republican seats in AL, WI and VA.
14
Republicans love those personal attacks. It allows them to look like they are actually fair and thoughtful on policy, like they care about the country and are "patriots". Please, give us all a break. We know and you know what the GOP is and what they have done and what they will do if not stopped. You need to take responsibility and stop blaming people like Chuck Schumer.
"...our country needs a good shutdown". Donald J. Trump. Seems to me that is the best PR.
Congressional leaders said they should withhold their pay. Ok, so they will just take it in back pay once the government is up and running again. What's the loss. They should get no pay, never recoup the lost wages, and should have all their perks revoked.
33
It is amazing to think that a few hundred politician can effect the life of 200 million people. The republicans can say what they want, but throwing 200 thousands dreamers out of this country is heartless. The democrats need to tell the american people that there message is one of compassion. while Canada welcomes immigration we welcome throwing them out.
19
It’s all about it getting rid of demographic populations that will not vote for Republicans. That’s the problem. They are worried that the browner America gets that politically they’ll have to become more like Democrats to be politically viable or go the way of the Whig party.
The GOP is full of white supremacists so the former option of being better to people of color is anathema to them.
Plus the wealthy who they answer too are screaming at them to do this as well because they too want to avoid the political tidal wave of change. They’re trying to buy as much as a delay as possible
I can't believe this willful ignorance. Canada has a merit based immigration policy, ended TPS for Haitians a year ago and has already deported thousands.
2
Your point's well taken but your numbers are a bit off.
USA population is over 300 million.
Dreamers: close to 800 thousand (thats creeping toward a million mark)
Continuing resolutions (CRs) are no way to run a country. The Republicans for the fourth time were pushing for a 30 day extension to keep the government functioning. The Democrats want a one year budget so that agencies and the military can plan. A major business wouldn’t function on 30 day budget resolutions. The Republicans are not capable of governing. Hence we now have The Trump Shutdown.
42
Since Trump is a Federal employee, let's hope he doesn't show up for work. And let's hope this shutdown lasts for the rest of his Russian-sponsored term.
34
Trump wanted to engineer a government shutdown and the genuflecting GOP dutifully obliged. The Trump-Shutdown is utterly reckless. The responsibility rests squarely with the President.
30
In 2013 government shutdown, Trump blamed President Obama when every senator blamed Senator Ted Cruz.
This time around the president is really the cause of the shutdown. Thus, we should just follow Trump's lead blaming the president.
31
Another nahnahnah obstruction by the fast-vanishing Democratic Party, still in state of obstinate, post-election denial, still hanging-on to leftist sympathies already rejected by the American voter, still bereft of new ideas, no introspection, no reinvention, just same ol’ same ol’.
Except this time the stakes are higher, senate seats in the low teens up for GOP grab before year-end. It’s reckless leadership, very reckless. Schumer’s rolling dice with virtually no odds, and with it, not just assuring rapid demise of his party, not just assuring half-century of one-party GOP rule, but building the foundations for Constitutional amendments, previously unthinkable, but not anymore. Thank you and hey, goodbye.
9
The leftist sympathies rejected by the American voter elected Obama twice and cast 3 million more votes for Hillary Clinton than for Trump. Your so-called majority isn't.
I would like to know what principle Republicans are defending. Since we're discussing majorities, a majority in both parties -- in congress and in polls -- supports legalizing the Dreamers. So why are we shutting down the government to prevent that?
@James
The bill would have passed if it required a simple majority. We are here because it needs 60 not 51, which in turn requires 4 GOP and 5 Democrats to reverse current stands. They’ll get there. Right now we know where their priorities lie: angering their constituents, getting booted, and getting the GOP to an absolute and reliable 60 before year-end.
1
Seems to me Democrats are fighting for the right to be an American. That means expecting to be treated honorably, and sticking to your guns in the face of injustice.
45
Skeptics dismiss the idea of secession because they imagine it would somehow make the 48 contiguous states of southern North America (plus Alaska and Hawaii) weaker if broken up into smaller, more manageable units. Could these Disunited States of America possibly be any stronger? The ungovernable size of this child of Manifest Destiny and the dissonant clash of "Red" and "Blue" state philosophies is driving us all into a ditch. The fighting over the wall is the writing on the wall. It's time for an amicable divorce. The 3 west coast states plus Hawaii and the 6 New England states plus New York, New Jersey, Delaware and Maryland must secede or face a painful descent into the mediocrity and moral oblivion that Red America fears not.
18
You underestimate the effect of money in politics and the through-and-through corruption of the Republican Party, top to bottom. That accounts for more of the militancy on the right than does strong feelings and the corporate tax rate in your average red state voter.
You're also missing the urban/rural divide. Voters in upstate New York have more in common with other rural areas than with New York City. Madison, Wisconsin and Birmingham, Alabama voted for Hillary Clinton. The country isn't really regionally divided. It's stratified, and stratifying.
Both aspects are products of growing income inequality. Elect a Democratic congress, enact a more progressive income tax, and watch both inequality and political polarization decline.
Income inequality was lowest in is country in the 1950s and 60s. Recreate that, and, yes, make America great again.
add Minnesota to your list of states. we give more in taxes than we get back. we need to cut off the taker states. let the poor red states take care of there own.
How many hours of secret meetings to give the rich tax breaks? And yet the Republicans can't - wait - DON'T - want to cover kids' health care? And they can't even create a stable budget, despite controlling the entire government? Yes, the Republicans deserve to be kicked out of office in November. Kick them out! Kick them out! Kick them out! At least the Democrats are the adult party and when they had the majority things got done. But once the Republicans got control of one part of government, it was dysfunctional once more, proving that the GOP is the BOP - Grand Ol' Party - Big Ol' Problem.
40
Pardon, but the Democrats didn't block the stopgap bill, they abstained. Like a battered wife who's had enough, they've had enough, enough of stonewalling, enough of being shut out of the legislative process, enough of being the punching bag of a purported man and president whose ideas of making a deal is walk over everyone with his cleated golf shoes on.
46
"Formal notifications are to be given as early as Saturday morning, budget office officials said..."
I'm a federal employee, and I think that statement is meaningless. I am prohibited from going to my office and from checking my e-mail. The notification that I received was to watch the press to see when the shutdown is over. There is no apparent pathway for individual notifications.
9
The Trump supporters are like a herd of sheep following a shepherd and we know what shepherds do to sheep. All Americans should now wear a sign saying "Me Too."
16
This is the second shut down in 4 years. Our country is divided near historical levels. Our governing body seems more akin to a reality tv show. Our administration tells us it's sunny when it's raining. We have no leaders nor people who want to be led. And now it's becoming who can come up with the best tag line to brand people or issues. Our country is spiraling. What a bookend to the President's first year in office.
27
There are only two good explanations for the Republicans allowing the government to close by refusing to settle two issues on which there is no great controversy, DACA and CHIP for children's health insurance. I am sure you are anxious to know?
1. They want the Democrats to put themselves on record as favoring a shutdown of govt. so it can be used for political purposes both at election time and between now and then by weakening them.
2. The Republicans can't get anything through the House because of the continued nihilistic obstructionism of the so called Freedom Caucus Republicans who came to office in 2010 and '12, people raised on right wing talk radio and determined to treat govt. itself as an unnecessary evil.
If the explanation is #1 above, expect a quick settlement this weekend or within a few days.
If the explanation is #2 above, this could go on for weeks. By allowing the shutdown to happen, Republicans take the focus away from the division within their own ranks and try to portray the Democrats against keeping the govt. open.
Almost every major impasse of the last six years in Congress can be tied directly to Republicans unable to agree with each other, in-fighting in their party, which suits the Freedom Caucus just fine, because they don't believe in the functioning of govt. in the first place. They believe chaos is a winning strategy. The public will then think they are voting against chaos at the next election when, in fact, they are voting to continue it.
28
For eight years the Republicans refused to vote for anything Obama. Mitch McConnell even said he would make Obama a one term president.
Remember what he did to Obama's Supreme Court Justice nominee?
I say good for the Democrats. Turnabout is fair play.
57
Yes! And why can’t Ryan and McConnell remember that? Selective memory?
I have to agree with Gov. Mead that we should be able to do better. That was true when Republicans would shut down the Government with Obama in office as well as now.
In the blame game the Democrats are at a disadvantage. For Republicans blame is an art form with 50 years of experience. For Trump blame is the basis of his success. And in this case they have the better alliteration.
Of course every word of Republican fault finding of the shutdown was leveled previously - at them - and they didn't seem to care then about these matters. Even relished in them.
And of course McConnell's "legislation they are demanding for people who came into the United States illegally.” is more accurately stated as "legislation they are demanding for people who were brought into the United States illegally as children.”
I think the idea to withhold pay from members of Congress during a shutdown was tried before with little success. Naturally. But I'd like to see it go a big step further that Congress can't exempt members for laws it passes for the rest of US.
4
Did President Trump call Republican holdouts?
He did when he wanted to enact legislation that would have caused 20 million Americans to lose their health insurance. I guess he wasn't that really concerned about a Government shutdown.
14
According to the senate roll call, McConnell and Paul voted No on the proposal.
For crying out loud, Mitch McConnell and Dump couldn't even get all of the Republicans to vote for their last minute throw together piece meal "deal" and you are going to blame the Democrats for this? This mess belongs at Dump's door and no one else's. He has done nothing but create one obstacle after crisis after distraction after confusion since he took office. He certainly didn't create all the problems we have in Washington but, the only thing he has proven good at is making them worse. The self proclaimed master deal maker has proven himself to be more suitable as a game show host for "Let's Make A Deal".
17
Yes! It's the Schumer Shutdown. He should be very proud, as all Democrats who refused to be bullied this time. This government does nothing for regular Americans -- it should be shut down. Who knows, maybe the Republicans will get used to it (it's a really "thin government").
7
Kudos to the Senate Democrats for blocking the Republicans' CR to kick the government spending bill can down the road. The solidarity of the Dems against the hypocrisy of the ruling Republicans is refreshing to see in these Trumpian times.
Negotiating late last night came to nought - no deal between deal-makers Trump and Schumer, both from New York City, the Hanging Gardens of the Deal. The Republicans control the White House, the House and the Senate and they are writhing in the vipers' nest of their unfit president's ignorance and bigotry. If we hadn't read it with our own eyes, we wouldn't have believed Trump Tweetcrowing late last night before his shutdown of our government, that he and Schumer had "excellent preliminary meeting in Oval, working on solutions for...our great Military..with...McConnell and Ryan. Making progress...!" Dysfunction and chaos ruling the Trump roost on the first anniversary of Trump's Inauguration. Vicious and vomitrocious, the Republicans' stand against DACA. Some progress!
8
This shutdown illustrates the difference between the two parties.
The House GOP wants even more tax cuts, the debt notwithstanding, and are willing to use children's health care as a bargaining chip.
The Dems in both the House and the Senate are holding out, not only for DACA, but for funding of community health centers, more disaster relief for Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands, for more funding to address the opioid crisis. The Dems want domestic spending to match spending for the military.
This is a contest of values.
Beyond that, this shut down is evidence of gross incompetence on the part if the party that controls both Congress and the presidency.
Give control of Congress to the Democrats in November.
18
It might have taken a year but this government shut down when Trump was sworn into office.
You don't hire a lawyer when you need a doctor and people might not have liked the idea of career politicians for president but that was what we needed.
The G.O.P. had good people running for office but instead they backed a fool that only cared about himself.
So now look at the mess we're in.
11
Ok agree with most of what you wrote but the republicans did not have good people running. They had maybe 1 or 2 okay people running. The rest is a nightmare. This is just who the republican party is now. They prop up an incompetent buffoon that tanks his own deals with his zero impulse control. They try to get child predators elected. They will sign off on massive unpaid tax giveaways for the rich but won't lift a finger to help hundreds of millions of American children. This is who the republican party is now.
One aspect of adulthood is recognizing legitimate differences in opinion without personalizing criticism. It would appear that many congressional representatives have not reached that stage of development.
9
It's playing out exactly as Trump hoped: HE's holding everything up, HE's in control, HE's in the spotlight, where HE basks in the glow of the hot TV lights where HE can remember back to how good it felt on The Apprentice when HE looked like an all-knowing "winner."
Tonight I managed to resist watching both MSNBC and CNN -- he might as well list himself as Executive Producer of their Friday night programming. His appalling behavior guarantees their attention.
But it can no longer guarantee mine.
6
Weren't the Dems holding out for a DACA agreement and CHIP funding? States are running out of CHIP funds. This is a crisis. The House Republicans offered a budget deal with CHIP funding. Trump gave Congress until March to work out DACA (not to mention a federal judge recently effectively reversed Trump's executive order). The Senate Dems have been outmaneuvered. They have shut down the Government, thrown away an opportunity to fund CHIP, all to fight for the rights of illegal immigrants. That's going to be hard to run on.
6
Well 'The Art of the Deal' sure worked for Trump big time! Entirely suspicious of his motives for being such a destructive influence throughout. Take Trump out of the equation and this would never have happened.
3
The GOP wanted full power, now it has it.
Be careful what you wish for.
The midterms are just a little more than 10 months away. Red or Blue — if you don’t like it, send Trump and Congress a message and change it.
I have never seen so much governmental chaos, especially now when we have such a supposed master negotiator and deal maker at the wheel.
9
Politics aside, the children of DACA did not have choice to grow up in the US and their way of life is that of an American. So we string them along under false pretenses and then pull the decade old welcome mat out from under their feet and deport them? And the current president who is dead-set on eroding the legacy of Obama with any chance he can get. And then there are Low Income Children in CHIP who do not have a choice either- they are relying on elected officials to protect them with their decision making. Bravo for those who voted no last night, and let's be clear it was both Republicans and Democrats who helped with the No vote. Remember that over 80% of Americans want DACA protection and all children have a right to health care, regardless of socioeconomic status. For once, would this government do what the majority of Americans want for the majority of American people. Hmmm, a government for the people- now there is a novel concept! Thank you for the elected officials who care about these members of our future generation.
9
The government shuts down and Trump retreats to his winter palace for a round (or two) of golf. Another nice abdication of duties.
4
What the Government needs is a backup system to prevent this happening as I believe this is not the first time this has happened. Possibly a separate budget pre-agreed between politicians that can be used during shut downs to keep everything running.
Congress, please add tax returns to any demand.
4
No way to run a railroad. Congress used to pass legislation, yes, actual spending bills for different parts of the government. But that would require bipartisan working with Democrats, something Republicans have avoided doing ever since 2008, and completely, this year. If you can't operate normally, working across the aisle, when push comes to shove the minority will exercise what little power they have. So here we are. Republicans, you are going to have to compromise with Democrats, not just shunt them off on a side track. It's your railroad now, you'd better figure out how to run it.
352
It takes 60 votes to pass an appropriations bill in the Senate.
Democrats own this one.
2
Actually it’s how railroads are run these days. You, like me, like to remember the old days when railroads were an example of well-run enterprises.
Republicans have avoided working with Democrats since 1995... Newt is the problem with the "Take No Prisoners" theory of legislating.
2
The Republicans set themselves up for failure because with the majority they demonized the Democrats and really didn't work to find a middle ground. Most people understand that money is finite and there are benefits/drawbacks to social safety nets. In some capacity, with the polarizing nature of parties, the only option is a middle path where neither side truly gets what they want, but the direction is still what is good for America and protecting/supporting its people.
Yes, finally fight the bully. There is no other way to deal with a bully, be it a President or a party that keeps another President from selecting a Supreme Court pick. We, people of the progressive and compassionate minds, have for too long been weak when it came to fighting for what we really and truly believe in. We fight for things we believe will help make this world a better place. We fight for honor and respect and the common good. Yes, fight.
5
It would be helpful if the article included the GOP proposed budget. Is this the one with 30% cuts to NOAA and other agencies? If so, how can Dems realistically ever reach an agreement?
3
We’ve reached the end of the line for the GOP’s tactics. They can’t exclude Dems and expect them to vote for GOP priorities. As long as the GOP insists on passing only its agenda only with its votes there will be moments when the Dems are able to put a wrench in the machine. Good for the Dems. The GOP is getting a hard lesson in compromise and comity.
4
This vote was about more than DACA; it was a rebuke of the Trump administration. Many Americans are tired of Trump's lies and broken promises. Tired and embarrassed by Sarah H. Sanders' performance, making some miss Sean Spicer.
Trump and company found a way to make corporate tax cuts permanent, but could only give temporary relief to everyone who gets a W-2 form.
This vote was about more than DACA; it was about what kind of representative government the American people desire. Hint: it's not the kind we have with the Trump administration.
7
Can we not, once and for call, recall and replace the Senate and Congress? We have had largely the same tired old men waving the threat of a shutdown as a political sword or shield for 20 years. They've grown older and tireder with little more to show than an increased willingness to pretend that the threat of a government shutdown is relevant. We should replace them if for no other reason than to prevent them finding something more disruptive to barter over.
5
It's time for a national referendum. You're fired! All of you. If you were at Apple, GM or Cisco you would be derided for self interests and promotion, failure to team play, irresponsible fiscal policies and advocates for rigid ideology. Oh and failure to follow the essential rule of law. You are generously paid to find solutions based upon conscience not party. You have failed the public. Two term limits for Congress. No recess for the bully in the pulpit. Big business has found ways around BAD government. It is time the public does the same.
3
Very weary of both Rs and Ds grandstanding, self righteousness, brinkmanship, evasiveness, telling half truths to get points, seeming to care little for the US public, and seeing to care so much more for their business party "brand."
I'm not certain about what the Russians did to influence the 2016 election, or to make Americans cynical and mistrustful of the US Government.
However, it seems that the Russians could have left well enough along: the Rs and Ds to a great job on their own sewing mistrust and skepticism among even the most red-blooded American.
Let's dock their pay when they can't run the government: if they cannot keep the government open, they are obviously not doing their job they were hired for.
Maybe when the government closes, there should be flash elections for both house and Senate.
Let's get some folks in there that care enough about doing their job that they'll work together to get their work done. If they can't do that, they don't deserver their own paycheck.
Daryl
Daryl's Roadside Honor System Vegetable Stand and Dairy Produce
Congress went home for the night after failing to do their jobs? I'm doing my job here in Afghanistan - when do I get to go home?
13
The country will get to you- eventually.
Right now the country must focus on the dreamers- 100 percent of the time.
Once they are all taken care of, their families in the US are taken care of, their families in their home countries are taken care of maybe, someday, the citizens of this country will have some time to spend on you.
I wouldn't hold my breath.
2
Values mater. So does freedom.
The democrats have put all their efforts to shutdown the government by putting the interest of illegal immigrants above the interest of the American individuals who are, in the first place, legally Americans. Then, and after all, they put the blame on the president and call it Trump Shutdown. How could that be? who, in his or her right mind, will accept something like this?
2
A week from Tuesday, Trump has to deliver the State of the Union address.
How do you show up to that, with a shut down government, and make any valid claims? Are people going to be sitting on the edge of their seats to hear another Trumpism? After all the gaffs, insults, tweets, and lies... the kid who cried "fire" in the movie theatre is still there, insulting the world.
It's not so much that the emperor has "no clothes", it's that his supporters have "no clothes".
Shame on Trump supporters. This will reverberate for decades.
7
Considering only politics, the Republicans rolled the Democrats by forcing them to go to the mat over DACA. While DACA is the right thing for the country to do, low-information voters consider it "red meat" for supporting Trump and anti-immigration Republicans. This will serve to advantage Republicans in the 2018 elections. Adding in Puerto Rico provided more fuel to low-information voters. Despite massive global resistance to uncontrolled immigration go down to defeat on principles that are not supported at this time in history.
1
At the end of the day it all boils down to one thing: our elected officials cannot do their jobs.
We elected them to lead and they have proven they cannot. Why, then, are they allowed to remain?
When it gets this bad it is time to clean house. No waiting for elections. In 20% increments send Congress and Housemembers packing and hold special elections to replace them. Those waiting their turn get put on minimum salary with no benefits and all assets frozen.
If you can't do your job, here's the door. We need to get tough on these people and show them they cannot treat We the People and our country in this manner.
4
Good for the Democrats. If they fell for this GOP trickery it would just further embolden the GOP to keep up with their tactics of holding the vulnerable hostage for ransom.
If they (the 'Governing' Party) got tax cuts done they could have reauthorized CHIP back in September. If they had the time to dismantle the EPA, our international standing, consumer protections and sell out national parks to their corporate cronies, try to stop the Mueller investigation and open more investigations on Hilary - they had time to deal with the DACA crisis created by their unbalanced leader.
By the way - did they forget it is their job to come up with a comprehensive budget for the government that goes longer than 30 days?
Disgraceful lot!
4
The fear of being "blamed" did not stop the Repubs winning the Congress and the Presidency. Democrats should not worry so much.
2
Let's see. There are 51 Republicans, 47 Democrats, and 2 Independents in the US Senate. Republicans needed 60 votes to pass their plan. They did not even muster a majority of the Senate to vote for it. Mind you, every Democratic Senator had voted for the first extension, and with each subsequent extension vote fewer voted in favor. Republican Senate leaders, like Lucy with her football, had announced they would protect the Dreamers. So even though 5 Democrats voted for the bill, FIVE REPUBLICANS voted against it and one did not vote. In Congress nearly every Republican follows the leadership of Donald Trump, especially on immigration, so unless they are forced they will NEVER allow protections for the Dreamers.
Perhaps there is hope. President Trump is only supposed to use Air Force One on vital government business during a shutdown. How long can he possibly forego his golfing vacations, which in the first year number more and have taken more time than most Presidents have spent off the job in their entire time in office?
5
I believe the DEMs did the right thing, its about time they used all the leverage they have to halt the out of control GOP wrecking machine. Where was the big deal about the military and CHIP for the last three months when the GOP was running around behind closed doors crafting a tax bill to help their rich pals and donors? Where was all this working together talk when they could use a Senate quirk to pass it ? The GOP is slowly taking away every lifeline for the middle class and the poor while covering for a unbalanced president who is doing all he can to destroy the US at home and abroad. YES, the DEMs did the right thing!!
4
Trump shut down the government when he hired Huckabee, Spicer, and Conway to be voices of truth and clarity. I’m still not clear on what Vice President Pence think about Stormy Daniels.
6
During the last shutdown, Obama signed an order that allowed the military to get paid. So it doesn't take much to do the right thing, but may take more than Trump and the GOP can manage.
1
"Officials said Mr. Trump may travel on Air Force One to carry out his constitutional responsibilities, including a planned trip next week to Davos, Switzerland — although it was unclear whether trips to Mar-a-Lago, his exclusive club in Palm Beach, Fla., for golf and socializing, such as the one he had planned for this weekend, would fall into that category."
Really? So now playing golf is a constitutional responsibility? Let's make it VERY clear that it is not, please.
7
The benefit to Democrats derived from showing some backbone in the face of pressure vastly exceeded any attendant downside risk. The party desperately needed to shatter the image of fecklessness it inherited from the Obama years.
2
The buck stops on Trump's desk. The great deal maker has failed as predicted. It's almost as if he wanted a shutdown. The burning question now for Trump is Mar-a Lago or Bedminster?
6
I have far more sympathy for our active duty military who are going without pay right now than I do DACA recipients. Imagine putting your life on the line in a warzone far away from home only to be told by the politicians of the country you're fighting for that you aren't as important as illegal immigrants. Shame on Congress for letting the situation grow out of control. Shame on the Democrats for putting illegal immigration above everything else.
3
So we're going to shut down the Federal government; disrupt services that many people depend upon; cause havoc with military budgets and operations; and squander a lot of money in the process; just so that non-citizens can remain in this country and receive federal benefits. Really?
This fatuity is going to go over really well with American citizens whose wages, living standards, life expectancy, and upward social mobility have decreased or vanished over the past 37 years. These are the voters who defied conventional wisdom and put Donald Trump in the White House. How is this going to alter their opinion of Mr. Trump?
I can think of no better way to ensure Mr. Trump continues to reside in the White House for seven more years than to proceed with abject stupidity like this.
3
Finally , the Democrats show some spine! Watch Trump fly out to Mar-a-Lago and go play golf . Thank you Democrats for showing solidarity and standing together. Enough already of using children and young people as bargaining chips for whatever unreasonable pet project that Trump has offered to (think wall) to his base .
5
Once again, our current government has shown its colors that it is more important to kowtow to corporations and the wealthy and that everyone else is simply bargaining chips that can be awarded or discarded!
This is not a GOP or Democrat issue, it is our corporate controlled government that is the issue!
2
Once the Senators and Congressman stop receiving their pay and perks due to shutdown, a negotiated deal will occur faster than the blink of an eye.
1
Will federal tax refunds be held up? Haven't heard anything specific about that.
2
So could it be that both parties are looking ahead to the time when Dreamers become Voters? Is that the cynical backstory of the government shutdown? I’m just asking...
2
I am tired of our country (except for the chosen wealthy and white few) being held hostage to 30 members of the Freedom caucus and a President so I'll-informed on the issues that he could no more cut a deal on immigration or anything else than my rather dim-witted cat.
Over the last nine months we have watched Republican's try to pass a wildly unpopular healthcare bill repeatedly, succeed in passing a tax bill that was not supported by the American public, fail to pass DACA and CHIP, for which there bi-partisan support.
No wonder voters are losing faith in government.
5
The budget is the primary obligation of lawmakers and it needs 60 votes to pass, not 51 like the Tax Bill, so it needs the cooperation of both parties.
I wonder why the Democrats never held a shutdown for something that would benefit American people, say allowing cheaper drug imports from Canda and other countries, allowing the GOV to bargain the prices of the drugs it purchases every year for Medicaid and Medicare, or allowing the public option.
No, the Dems only fight to the bitter end for amnesty for illegals and keeping the borders wide open!
The Schumer Shutdown is a disgrace! In the 2016 election people voted for the Wall and tougher immigration limits and although the Dems lost they have the gall to blackmail into the budget precisely the items that the President and the Republicans campaigned against and won. The Democrats are not really democrats when the will of the people disagrees with them.
4
I don't agree with what the republicans are doing by a long shot. However, I think the democrats have way overplayed this and it will come back to hurt them and ultimately the rest of us come midterms.
Sure holding CHIP hostage and backing out of the bipartisan deal the group of 6 put together makes an informed voter more likely to blame the republicans. The only thing we are going to hear until the 2018 Midterms now will be, "Democrats shut down government hurting actual citizens in an attempt to give citizenship and benefits to illegals"
I don't agree with the statement, but that is what uninformed voters are going to be inundated with.
2
Why don't the senators of both sides get some guts, negotiate together on a compromise, then pass it, AND LET TRUMP VETO IT IF HE DARES. Then, congress looks good, congress functions, and the PRESIDENT bears the blame for the shutdown in a way that the simpleton voters can clearly see.
4
The Dems have no choice actually. Once they remove DACA off the table, the Dreamers are doomed. They have no other card to play other than the threat of non-cooperation. The GOP is actually holding the Dreamers hostage, forcing the Dems to risk what they don't have - only a humanitarian principle that the GOP have no respect for nor share.
And with Stephen Miller beside the president whispering racist supplications, the Dems have no chance of extracting compromise.
4
The President and the Republican majority effectively said to the Democrats we don't need you to rob the US Treasury. We can do it without you. The Democrats need to demonstrate to the Republican Party and President that the tax reform bill must go into the trash before asking for any increases to spending.
3
They take our money under the law... and this is how they manage it. I am forced to give these people my money...never a thank you, never an accounting of its use. The customer service is dreadful as is the product. But I cannot get a refund because I don't like the product. Must I vote with my feet...other people have emigrated...perhaps the time is approaching.
3
We’re paying the price of Weak and Vacillating President who doesn’t have the internal fortitude for the Job. Isn’t it self evident...that if we blunder to some compromise we still have to deal with this person who is so without visionor Empathy beyond himself?
1
BREAKING: Trump admits fault:
"My sense is that people are far angrier at the President than they are at Congress re the shutdown—an interesting turn!"
1
Hardliner Senator Tom Cotton spent all night on the Senate floor smirking, standing around with his hands in his pocket, contributing absolutely nothing to bipartisan conversations happening in multiple groups on that floor.
Cotton & Trump threw the grenade into this battlefield & destroyed any effort at bipartisanship at their meeting last week, & now. Trump's statement read by Leader McConnell was hopelessly divisive and, as usual, not helpful.
This is the Trump Shutdown.
Kudos to Democratic Senator Chuck Schumer for stating the facts on how both Trump & McConnell Republicans are responsible for this shutdown, & this holy mess of Trump's first year in office, as Republicans control of the white house, senate & house of representatives.
Donald Trump wanted this shutdown from the start. His 365th day in office brought it. He set it all into motion last September when he revoked President Obama’s executive order, made those loving promises to DACA recipients, and turned his back on them.
Schumer said he put "the wall" on the table today to try to get a DACA deal with Trump---who was receptive---but did not press his party to accept it. Trump's erratic behavior makes no sense, but speaks of incompetence and racist sentiment toward Mexican immigrants. He has no core beliefs beyond believing people of color don't have a place in America.
3
Here's an idea for DACA: Continue the deferment permanently for the 700,000 Dreamers while implementing an offsetting moratorium on future legal immigrations from the Dreamer's countries of birth. Not fair or palatabe to those that have waited patiently in the legal immigration queue but it is a compromise.
1
In November we get to replace the entire House and 1/3 of the Senate. Let's do it. Vote out every incumbent. These people are our employees. They work for us. They get paid good money with stellar benefit from us. Instead of doing a job for us they consistently do a job on us.
Of course the downside will be that their prospective replacements will also be a bunch of lazy clods who would rather run for office instead of doing some real work. On the other hand what do these incompetents actually have the aptitude to do? Work in carwashes, deliver pizzas,?
2
Mitch McConnell holds CHIP back for just this purpose. His is the blame for the shutdown, playing his games. Surely the GOP sees the similarity with the Tea Party. Rather than striking a pose, McConnell ought to resign.
1
Trump can't take a good deal when its offered--that's the simple fact here. Graham and Durbin, Schumer, all have tried and Trump insists on riding the whirlwind to charm his 30% and earn the admiration of Tom Cotton who doesn't seem to understand much except that he hates people making their lives better. Coming form Arkansas he probably hasn't seen much success so he wouldn't know it.
Once again, as 150 years ago, the South shows that it cannot think its way out of a paper bag for its own selfish stupidity--rather than wanting to be like the successful part of the US they have determined that they want the rest of the US to be like them--poor, uninformed, uneducated and in poor health. And Trump, like Buchanan, doesn't want to see the underlying forces. He is only subject to the flattery of the mean spirited.
3
Sorry people but Trump is right: "When they talk about the government shutdown, they’re going to be talking about the president of the United States, who the president was at that time.”
2
It takes a certain amount of competence as vandals to damage valuable government programs, like CHIP and DACA, delay repairing them while declaring them desirable programs that should be sustained, and then use them as hostages to kill in negotiations over inapposite programs.
After reading the Trump supporters' letters, I found in them none of the duplicity, animus or violence peculiar to vandals. Just who is supporting the Republicans, who are mere vandals undertaking the destruction of our government?
Russia?
3
Preient Bankruptcy couldn't get through 13 months before a government shutdown?
We probably should have seen this coming.
1
The GOP has shown what their priorities are. Tax cuts for people who can afford a 200,000.00 ticket to celebrate the most destructive, divisive presidency in history. Enjoy your party.
Dems want 21st century border security but won't stroke a billion dollar ego to get it.
CHIP should have been renewed months ago.
DACA should have been resolved months ago.
ACA should have been improved months ago.
Immigration reform should not equal insult.
Puerto Rico.
Opioids.
Infinite scandal.
North Korea.
Leadership.
Tweets.
Oh, but that extra 50.00 in my paycheck that I get for a year is timed perfectly. It's going straight to the DNC.
Enjoy your party.
4
The government shutting down exactly on the first anniversary of the inauguration of the most unhinged "president" in the history of the Republic is such a perfect coda to what has been a tumultuous year that one could justifiably see some kind of "poetic justice" in the shutdown...
3
Insults. Lies. Changing his mind. Broken promises. Hand made problems. Outcome of this mix that was created by Trump is very predictable.
Slavish speech of McConnell was disgusting.
3
Making this president a one term president would be giving him too much credit.
Not reliable, could not be trusted.
1
Once again, the Montreal Assessment Test proves faulty.
2
Trump is a dishonest bad faith negotiator and the Republican party has a proven track record when it comes to shutting down the government. Any other conclusion is fake news.
Democrats had better make a stand . The stolen Supreme Court has overturned the lower court ruling stopping the North Carolina gerrymandered map.
The Supreme Court is corrupt.
2
Mr. Trump is going to campaign by saying that the Democrats care more about illegals than US citizens.
And he will not be totally wrong.
Democrats should have waited for the lapse of DACA to turn the tables.
2
DACA is non-negotiable. Dr ML King Jr would have agreed.
1
I am a lifelong Republican who believed my leaders back in 2013 when they blamed the President for the 2013 shutdown.
I believe in America and I believe in consistency, and I believe this President failed America tonight, and that the Republican party will see a mass defection.
I will not be voting for them any time soon. And I am not alone.
569
I hope those are true words.
8
Another former lifelong Republican here. Trump desecrates and destroys everything he touches. If the Republican Party ever becomes decent again I might vote for one of them. Till then not a one, they all serve the loutish disgrace in the White House.
10
A minor point....why is McConnell smiling?
12
He'll still get paid, and his base will still support him.
Dear readers,
Anyone who posted an original comment between approx. 6 p.m. EST and approx. 10 p.m. EST on Friday, 1/19 has had their comment obliterated, except for 2 commenters - Citizen, and RM.
The evidence is visible, chronologically, if you scroll 17 pages in, sorting oldest to newest.
Look quickly, while the hours something has been posted are still visible, before those hours disappear into '1 day', '2 day', and the trail disappears.
Obviously, hundreds of comments were deleted, including top 25 'recommends'.
5
I agree. I couldn't find any comments between 6 and 10. What does this mean?
"Trump may travel on Air Force One to carry out his constitutional responsibilities, including a planned trip next week to Davos, Switzerland. But it was unclear whether trips to Mar-a-Lago ..... would fall into that category."
Trump should stay at home. It will only spark outrage if he wastes taxpayers' money just for a 2/3 day visit that brings them no benefit. He is not welcome to Britain and many at WEF and in Switzerland will be glad if he stays away.
In October 2013 Obama called off plans for a week-long trip to visit four Asian countries and attend two summits because of the government shutdown. He was scheduled to meet Putin, Xi Jinping and Shinzo Abe, among other leaders, at the summits. Xi took advantage of Obama's absence from the Apec summit to push Beijing's offers to neighbouring nations, halting Obama's "pivot" to the region.
6
Another manufactured crisis which will hurt the poor and middle class.
I'm still annoyed about the sequester, which resulted in my not being able to visit the White House when Obama was President.
Well, at least this forces 45 to stay home and get something done rather than go to his palace in Florida.
21
Now, Chaotic Trump owns his own shut down on his one year anniversary. He is mad because he wants to attend his one year anniversary party in Florida, charging $100k per couple, instead of being stuck here in DC to help run the country. This evidences how much he really cares for all of us, not just his millionaire and billionaire friends.
This all occurred after he summoned Schumer to the White House for a one and a half hour meeting. Schumer stated on the Congressional Record, that during their meeting, he offered to pay for the wall in return for supporting the DACAs. After Schumer left the White House, and returned to the Senate, Trump sent a message that he would not approve any immigration issue, and only all of the other matters must be passed.
This man's statements to date, have included those of a bigot and racist, who deserves to be called some of the names that he has called immigrants and their home countries.
The only thing worse than that, is his inept stupidity. He is going to Davos next week and will be given a speech, which will need to be obviously spoon fed to him. If he can read it. Perhaps he can make some further bigoted remarks before that international audience to show how far America has come, since he was elected President, even though he really lost the election by three million popular votes.
Chaotic Trump's continuing actions and words, speak for themselves!
83
You along with all of these other NYT readers need to reach out to other news sources for your information. Trump didn't shut down the government sir, the congress did. Schumer is part of the congress and he convinced other democrats
that the illegal people called dreamers and the daca recipients are more important than the citizens that are tax paying voters of this country.
Just like Lucy and the football, Republicans have lied again and again about letting Charlie Brown kick that football.
Thank you Democrats, and 5 Republican Senators, for standing up to the cruel President Trump and his fellow bullies.
President Trump, you are responsible for this shut down.
It's on you and we are on to you.
152
Stop worrying about the blame. Do the right thing for the imminently threatened Dreamers. By November there will lots of new blame, mostly for Republicans.
By offering President Trump a concession on the Wall, Senator Schemer set the stage for a deal == if the President would take his Adderall.
29
When the republicans were forcing the Tax Bill through the Senate with 51 votes last month, McConnell *PROMISED* Sen. Susan Collins that in return for her "YES" vote they would pass a separate bill to add money to help people on Medicaid. That was very important to her constitutents in Maine.
That promise has not been acted on at all. It isn't even part of the present CR, which the Republican HAVE TO PASS.
If the Republicans won't even honor a PROMISE to one of their own Republicans, that should tell you how trustworthy Republicans are on their promises.
And they want Democrats to hold still for another worthless promise?
What turnip truck did Mitch McConnell fall off of on his way to the US Capitol?
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That wasn’t a turnip truck. It was an armored car owned by the securities, investment, and insurance industries, yes, that same armored car that’s rudely parked on our collective foot.
2
I was heartened tonight after watching Schumer's speech following the vote. I think he realizes he was used and laid the blame right where it belongs; on Trump.
99
I think the Dems might be overplaying their cards. Poll out today shows that DACA is not a major concern for the majority of Americans. I am a Dem but think other issues, such as health care, are much more pressing issues.
37
Forget about polls. DACA is he right thing to do.
2
At some point one has to stand for principle irrespective of consequences. It is called courage.
1
Ummm not sure where you're getting your information, but according to various polls, - 87% of Americans from both parties want the DACA situation resolved for the Dreamers!
1
It's quite interesting that the Republicans, traditionally anti-union, are using classical old-union-style "position bargaining" tactics to prove a point. Such tactics were never effective, and remain useless now. Perhaps someone from the NLRB would like to volunteer to be a mediator as the Republicans and Democrats have obviously reached an impasse.
8
While listening to McConnell excoriate Democrats after the vote, it became apparent that the youth of today not only have the worst role model in Trump but that they also have another mean-spirited, disrespectful, dishonest role model in McConnell. Any thoughtful and informed individual knows that the Republicans refused to renew CHIP last fall because they wanted to use sick children as bargaining chips in legislative proceedings. McConnell has a lot of gall criticizing the Democrats when he, McConnell, spent eight years obstructing everything President Obama and the Democrats tried to do.
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In most countries, funding for the provision of child healthcare is a 'given'.
In the parallel Republican world, it's a bargaining chip.
3
Indeed. And McConnell made that his stated mission on Day 1 of Obama's presidency, before McConnell even knew what the president was going to do on a day-to-day basis. "A one-term president," sayeth McConnell. A policy of pure obstruction. And very likely, born of old Kentucky "gentleman" racism, against a black man who doesn't know his place as subservient by "nature."
Also, note that McConnell said, after Trump was elected, that he was prepared to hold up ANY Supreme Court nomination by Clinton for the entire four years of her presidency, had she been elected. This, after McConnell had previously said, during Obama's final months, that the people should decide (meaning, of course, that Republicans should decide), as his rationale for stonewalling the Garland nomination.
The man is completely duplicitous, a turncoat, and a pox on the Senate. Which he apparently relishes.
1
I was furious with the GOP when they shut down the government last time out. This time out it is the Democrats. Independents will not forget this if this is not fixed post haste.
21
Hard to argue only Democrats are to blame when Republicans voted against the provision, too.
1
Last time Independents rewarded the GOP, despite what you allegedly thought.
This time they will reward Democrats, despite what you allegedly think.
1
It's complicated. And the more you know about it, the more complicated it becomes, that is, the deeper you go down the rabbit hole, the darker it becomes.
I wish the government hadn't shut down, but there are many, many powerful factors, currents, and histories pushing and pulling here. One, Repubs never keep their word. Two, they hate government. Three, their backers are the Fat Cats, who are not friends of the people. They will say or do anything to win; the truth is not in them: They are all potential used-car salesmen. Beware! For Satan can disguise himself in the garb of an angel. And all that is necessary for evil to conquer is for good people to do nothing. We must fight back and sometimes, in fact, too often, we must fight fire with fire.
Since when do Americans hold children hostage? That's exactly what's happened here. Children who need health care, young people seeking only to be good citizens have been caught in the mangle of power-hungry ideologues who have no problem blowing up the budget to appease rich people and corporations, even as they destroy our environment and ruin our reputation abroad.
What a sorry spectacle.
Hang in there Democrats.
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DACA is not popular with a broad swath of America.
Regardless of which party one deems responsible for the latest shutdown, it is high time to question why such a fiasco is even possible. Our 18th century system of government might need a 21st century upgrade. There is no sane excuse for requiring a shutdown of essential services or failing to pay employees who live from one paycheck to the next.
37
And there is no excuse for the Electoral College which gave us Trump.
If you ran a company like this how long would it last? Would people shop at a store that won't tell you if it will be open on Monday? Would you book a golf tournament at a place that said we can't tell you until the last minute if we will be open. How successful would a hotel be if they said, You can have a door or a bed or window but never all three if you are a Democrat.
1
The more broken the US Constitution looks, the less likely it is we'll ever see a long-overdue constitutional convention to modernize it.
We have an alleged "deal-maker" in the White House, and the Republicans control both the House and the Senate. The know-nothings might blame the Democrats, but this is a Trump/Republican shutdown. Period.
119
The spending deal needs 60 votes, which means that 10 must come from the Democrats who are holding hostage the bill by denying funding for the wall and for border security, unless they get amnesty for DACA and get to keep chain migration so the DACA people can legalize their extended families too, here and in Mexico. I find it disgusting that the Dems work so hard for illegal to the point of shutting down the government and not fund it properly, which is their main job.
1
McConnell couldn’t herd fellow Republicans to support this, and you blame Democrats?
I hoped after Sen. Feinstein released the Fusion GPS transcript that her show of intestinal fortitude would be contagious. Looks like the Democrats may be coming down with something.
1
And anyone wonders why people from the Rustbelt tend to be Republicans with Democratic priorities like these demanded here?
19
You mean like funding to stop an epidemic of opioid deaths ripping through the Rust Belt?
Spin this all you want. Come November, the GOP will see who the country blames for government dysfunction and malfeasance.
America is beginning to understand why Trump wants a government
shut down - to cover up the Russian conspiracy and his appearance
before the Special Counsel.
Cynical tactics.
61
You may be correct, but I doubt Trump can see much further than his nose. He has no strategy; he just reacts to the current moment: Hit back 10x harder, spin, lie, divert attention, deny, and sell, sell, sell the sizzle, not the steak.
Republican president.
Republican Senate majority.
Republican House majority.
Republican chaos.
They own it.
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A no brainer - when the Republican Congress repeatedly brings up sub-par bills at the last minute as a way to get concessions from the Dems? The American people see this ploy, and are tired of it. It's time for the Republicans to earn their salary throughout each session, not just the last day or two. We expect you to work with the entire Congress to get things done, not just play games with your own party members - so you can pretend you are working, but are really planning your next propaganda assault.
39
Every word from the mouths of these liars is as worthless as their promise to offer up single issue bills.
["Mr. Cotton, who has helped thwart Mr. Graham’s negotiations, retorted with Mr. Graham’s failed 2016 presidential bid.
“The difference between Steve King and Lindsey Graham is that Steve King can actually win an election in Iowa,” Mr. Cotton told reporters.
Mr. Cotton went on to argue that it was Mr. Trump’s views on immigration that powered him to the Republican Party’s nominee, while Mr. Graham was relegated to the “kiddie table” at the primary debates.
Across the Capitol, House Republican leaders pressured Senate Democrats to capitulate and give their blessing to the stopgap measure."] . . .
I sure do hope that Mister Cotton picking Cotton runs as a Presidential primary challenger to Donald Trump in 2020 .....Or Mister Cotton could run for House of Reps in IOWA, with Mister King ! !
2
Ask Senator Susan Collins about those promises for votes.
69
The Times headline about "the Democrats ready to gamble" should be changed to read "politicians ready to gamble". ALL politicians are ready to gamble with American lives and existence, no matter their political alliance. Just look at history: how many politicians will be risking income in this shutdown mess? None ! They only risk re-election and that has no meaning for the rest of us. Our so-called Congress is overpaid and under worked. They should all be thrown out........
7
It seems that Trump requires applause just for breathing. The look on Schumer’s face...priceless!
15
As long as a shutdown hurts Trump and the GOP I'm all for it.
33
The Republicans own this one.
They will also own each excessive death from flu if the CDCP and other health agencies aren't funded. This is similar to Reagan and his ilk owning the HIV crisis since Reagan withheld funds to slow its doubling rate when there was a chance to do that.
25
It is ironic that the first anniversary of the Trump presidency is marked by the government shutdown- a poor reflection on the ruling party that failed to negotiate a fair deal for ensuring the success of short-term spending legislation.
32
The only fix Republicans know is blame. Passing a budget should have been the first priority for a party in control of Congress and the White House. It only takes 51 votes to pass. Instead, Republicans wasted time trying to score political points in their failed effort to repeal Obamacare. Once again, Republicans, fully in charge of both branches of elected government have shown they are incapable of leading the country forward. They passed tax cuts for the wealthy, but couldn't get a budget done!
89
Walter:
YOU NAILED IT. They passed a "feel-good" (for them) bill to APPEASE their donors (and they ADMITTED that) and nothing more.
This has NOTHING to do with the Democrats. Republicans have already shown the power of their majority with the tax “overhaul” legislation that passed without a single democrat vote. They own all 3 branches of the federal government and the resulting chaos from that leadership.
175
In this case, it was different. They needed 2/3 of the Congress to approve the budget well you only need 51 votes for passing the tax law.
1
Lets get this straight. Republicans couldn't negotiate to get enough votes. Even some republicans voted no. How the title of this column blames dems is beyond belief.
158
This obstinate move by Senate Democrats will make the Democratic Party more unpopular.
15
not with me and not with the majority of Americans - but the system is rigged and the majority does not rule - it make no difference -
No Jay , we applaud them here in America for showing solidarity and standing up for what is right. Read the comments again.
The Republicans are holding DACA recipients hostage; they are working; they are attending school; they are adding to our society and economy. They are also holding CHIPS hostage to the budget they want. They gave huge tax cuts to the richest among us, behind closed doors, in the middle of the night. The Democrats were not invited into that tax heist vote. If Mitch McConnell cares about children, the working poor, or the DACA recipients, I have a bridge. If I had to choose between McConnell and Ryan, it would be really hard. The GOP has been in charge of the House, the Senate and Trump's WH; they have accomplished nothing for the benefit of American voters, or for American working people. They have accomplished much for their large donors. They shut down the government once during tourist season in D.C., leaving busloads of kids who had saved for that trip to the capital. Now they will shut down the government on behalf of multi-national corporations, their base.
2
First priority, shut down the agencies that protect the environment and consumers. Second priority, cut taxes for the top 1%, put corporations, bankers, and wall street in charge. Third, hand over all foreign policy to the ‘Department of War’. Fourth priority, try to keep what’s left running including the military (according to Trump). Last, take care of the American population and that includes the homeless, immigrants, coal miners, and every single 99% of America. Why does this administration have a 38% approval? Big money, Russia and Fox News.
71
Thank you, Democratic Senators, for proving we still have checks and balances, the real majority still has a voice, and integrity still lives in the USA.
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Guess who still gets paid during the federal government shutdown? Answer: members of Congress, the Cabinet and the president! In the meantime, countless millions will be adversely affected by this GOP foolishness. Crisis politics must be rejected and it is up to voters to bring this about.
28
It was only technically 50. Really they had 51, but McConnell voted no for procedural reasons.
7
Did he vote No on behalf of McCain?
Whats the rush to increase spending to the Military where the current budget is already at least 250% + higher than the combined military spend of China AND Russia?
But the GOP legislative foot drags on 3 months after the funding of the health care needs of 9 Million Children has dried up.
Seriously, by what logic or threat do these Republicans seem determined to increase further what is already the largest Military Budget in the world that is already larger than the next 10 countries combined, 7 of which are staunch Allies?
Whilst denying/threatening children of their health and well being?
56
Guns are the opiate of Americans.
The sight of Democrats and Republicans calculating which is the more responsible for the government shutdown is a sickening display of a shared disregard for Constitutional responsibility. Congress, let me pierce your bubble--you're all equally responsible. This fall's elections should be a wave that spares none but the very few who tried to find common ground for the common good.
22
Still looks to me like the Republicans control Congress and the Executive -- no room to blame Democratic people.
40
I know you will all think I am crazy but i think I heard a deal being made between McConnell and Schumer. They are going to extend funding tomorrow until Feb. 8 and then put together a bill that encompasses DACA, CHIP, community health centers and defense- domestic parity and pass what will be in essence a full budget bill.
Could be wrong but that's what I heard.
3
Dems didn't kill the bill. The Republicans own this. They control both houses of congress. Why didn't they put together a bipartisan deal?
37
To M.J, in NM. Senators Durbin and Graham had a deal. Then DT went wild on them in that follow up meeting last week and this is the result. I say shut it down, on the first and hopefully last anniversary of a disastrous presidency.
During the Obama presidency, Trump stated that a shutdown falls on the shoulders of the President.
The GOP has the House, Senate and the White House. The "Art of the Deal" President cannot get things done. This shutdown is on him.
The media needs to remind the country of this every day.
91
Trump is irrelevant to the Federal government. He spends his time flying AF One to his golf course in FL; he demands and gets junk food on board, because he lives on junk food. I hope the Democrats stand strong on this budget. If they trust the GOP or Trump, then they should never have been elected, because the public doesn't trust the current GOP to do right by any other than large donors.
Donald Trump isn't the 'Deal Maker' he claims to be. He has reneged on his deals with Democrats. Donald Trump is a FRAUD!
Donald Trump made deal deal with the New York State Department of Parks to build a new restaurant ant Jones Beach State Park. What he delivered is an empty lot and NO restaurant. NOT a Deal Maker and NOT a great builder. Just a great fraudster. SO SAD!!
30
Trump only practices the art of the steal.
1
I fear the only thing middle class Americans will remember about this vote is that Dems put illegal immigrants (through no fault of their own) ahead of vets, seniors and other citizens, and that this will not bode well in a November.
17
What about all of the vets, seniors and other citizens in Puerto Rico, most of whom STILL don't have power?
No, they did not. The vets will continue to be paid and cared for. Social Security checks will continue to go out; Medicare claims will continue to be paid. Federal employees in non-critical jobs will receive back pay, as happened in the 2013 shut down by Ted Cruz. This Congress is rarely in D.C.; they spend their time campaigning for re-election; or, they spend their time dialing for dollars. Other than multiple attempts to destroy the ACA, what they have done?
The Republicans mustered only 45 votes. Where is it written that minority party's refusal to pull the majority party's fat out of the fire of their own making makes the former responsible for the shutdown? From where I sit, both parties failed to get to 60. And, frankly, they could have and quite possibly would have if McConnell had reached out and compromised like any true Senate leader would have. He of all people should know that those votes don't come for free. He couldn't even get his own party to 50 - parity.
140
If shutting down the government forces us to deal with illegal immigration, then let’s do it. If the Democrats are willing to sell out their constituents over DACA, then I’m willing to shut down and hold out for reducing immigration and strict enforcement of our immigration laws.
24
Really? Have you talked to any of the Big Ag operators? They import "illegals" to work in their fields for low pay and no benefits. Or, developers and builders who employ skilled "illegals" to work on their construction projects for low pay and no benefits? Or, the corporations who import foreign techs when they could hire graduates from Cal Tech, MIT, UC, or many other fine American universities? They hire foreigners for lower pay and no benefits, because the families will supplement the low pay to keep their kids in the U.S. I hope the Dems stand strong on the current disagreement with the infamous Mitch McConnell who goes home once a year, drives around in a beat up pick up truck, gets the votes, does nothing for the people who live in Kentucky, and returns to NYC and D.C. What is McConnell's stand on Black Lung disease? Mine safety? Mining slurry flowing into rivers and streams where the poor fish?
Says the guy who understands nothing about immigrants nor economics. Its in the democrats best interest to shut you down because while you are in power, you will continue to flush the middle class as you always have.
And on top of that, you will literally hurt innocent people out of hate rather than reason forgetting who you or your ancestors really are to begin with, illegal immigrants. Its a nonsensical term. Its one thing to be vigilant and screen, its another to kick out anyone who has not hurt you simply because you fear them.
The Trump administration has proved two things beyond a shadow of a doubt:
A reality TV star doesn't always make a good President.
A Marine Corps general doesn't always know how to manage a day care center.
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@Mr. "Hugh Briss": your parody of a useful post breaks new ground in revealing what's going on in these bubble threads. The mere scent of Trump-bashing has the hounds barking up a storm, no novelty, insight, or edible substance needed. Whatever your actual intention, please continue these demonstrations.
shutdowns create more cynicism and subsequent lower voter turnout. Not likely what the Dems. want later this year.
12
Democrats are willing to shutdown the government to protect people trump has hurt because it is the right thing to do.
Republicans don’t care about children, otherwise they would not have allowed CHIP to expire and wouldn’t be salivating at the prospect of kicking brown children out by ending DACA.
110
True. But they seem to care an awful lot about fetuses. Does anyone really understand this makes no sense at all?
15
Federal workers will get back pay if the gov’t shuts down (if past shutdowns are predictors of future ones) so THEY DON’T CARE. They will get extra vacation. Oh yes...they get benefits and healthcare too. So shut me down too...please.
15
I can speak for civilian federal employees whose jobs are to support our military--this shutdown is the worst kind of disrespect for our service men and women. I'm sorry you callously call this "vacation" for those of us whose job it is to support the men and women who protect your freedom.
11
Really, Casey? The military will be paid, as always. I drove by the Pentagon for 5 years; it looked pretty good, fully staffed with officers, staff et al. The last time the military really protected our freedom was WWII. After that, there were wars of choice: Korea, Syria, Yemen et al. The military kept West Berlin fed. Stalin held on to East Berlin and Eastern Europe.
The employees living paycheck-to-paycheck care.
Successful government has always been about compromise, about finding the middle ground. Today we have dolts and dotards and radicals in the GOP who still think that tantrums and hypocrisy and extremist ideology can change that. They are wrong.
59
Lets not eliminate the more important aspect here .Citizens united .
The donors are in charge and it would take a massive turnout of
those that truly want to be represented ,to overturn that bill in the
supreme court .I won't be holding my breathe .
5
You are correct; Citizens United, the Scalia Decision, rewarded corporate money flowing into TV ads etc. In unlimited amounts. As I recall, the Decision equated money with free speech, and corporations with individual people. The precedent was an old Superior Court Decision with a typo which identified a corporate entity as an individual. The error remained; Scalia knew about it and used it in his infamous Citizens United Decision. Next time you go to your mailbox, say hi to your neighbor, GE.
Keep in mind that Trump is gambling with our nation and he is proven to be a loser. One of the biggest businesses that he owned was the Taj Mahal Casino that went out of business. That is remarkable since Casinos rarely do if at all.
31
Most of the Atlantic City casinos went out of business. Had nothing to do with business model or management.
1
I'll go further. He's unique in that he is the first person in the history of mankind to lose money in the Atlantic City gambling industry.
9
Yeah, but no other owner had to declare bankruptcy 4 times as a result. Trump is a terrible businessman and a wonderful carnival barker.
I am concerned that Democrats are overplaying their hand, this may not help them in the elections this year.
16
I’m concerned that the Republicans will spin this as “the Democrats shut down the government because they care more about illegal immigrants than they do our citizens and our troops” and that they will succeed with that argument.
14
I had a poster in my 3rd grade classroom: "Stand up for what is right even if you're the only one standing." I applaud the Democrats for doing the morally correct thing, but it is important that we all understand what it is they are actually refusing to go along with: DACA is just the vehicle. America cannot continue to be held hostage by an amoral, incompetent president who has no clear, steady policy about anything, changes his "opinion" on an hourly basis, and loves to toss verbal hand grenades via twitter just to hear the explosion. Someone needs to stand up against this continual chaos which is fast destroying our country. We cannot worry about November, 2018; we have more than enough to worry about TODAY.
1
Quit worrying, Robert. They did the right thing. Trump blew it.
Schumer was very unwise to meet with Trump alone for many obvious reasons. This is not a government determined by two men. This is a Democracy and I would expect a Democrat to know that. Schumer will never win negotiating with blackmailers and should know that. Schumer should be huddling with fellow Democrats brain storming, not the opposition. All debate on this Bill should be occurring in the Senate, not the White House irregardless of who the negotiators are. The more there are Democrats talking to each other, the more good ideas they will get. Trump poisoned the Democrat deliberations and Schumer should have known that.
7
Schumer has been a to the right of center corporate legeslator for his entire
carreer .His net wealth with major pharma and loads of Wall St cash is
simply not the man that should be representing the Dems ,especially at this point. He is as much of an autocrat as many of those supposedly representing us .Capitalism has become a bloated mess.
2
why do these congressmen continue to get paid if/when the government shuts down? Politicians should be the first to lose their salaires if this occurs because it is all their fault. No wonder they look at this as a game, they have nothing to lose!
30
Deal breaker-95%
Deal maker-5%
Trump statistics do not match the rhetoric presented by the Oval Office, quick to chastise and demean, slow to display any planning or management expertise.
29
Fund CHIP for 6 years and extend DACA for another year- let it play out next year after the fall elections. Or would that be too reasonable?
9
I doubt that any of the people calling for a government shutdown work in the military or are federal employees. They have no idea how many millions of people would adversely impacted. They simply have a vendetta against Mr. Trump and the Republicans and have little sympathy for innocent bytstanders.
4
Not a single federal worker will lose a dime of pay
6
Apparently Schumer the Schemer could not WAIT for a chance to get his OWN name in the books for shutting down the gov't - as most shutdowns have been because of Democrats.
The Schumer Shutdown, with the assistance of Nancy Sidewalk-Dog-pile, take advantage of the marching in lockstep progressive can do, having only progressive Representatives remaining in the House.
It also takes advantage of the wide diversity among Senate Republicans, with fringe-Leftists from progressive areas as well as patriots and religious Americans from Trump states.
During the 2013 shutdown, Barack the Brittle actually chained off open-air memorials on the Washington Mall, purely out of spite for the all-so-white military veterans. Will President Trump do the same for progressive memorials this time around?
4
Republicans control house, senate, White House. There is only blame for them. And McConnell couldn’t rally the Rs to vote the way he needed. Don’t look at Ds for this. Rs aren’t able to govern. Period.
21
As a Democrat, I’m against taking our government hostage to win concessions. It’s Solomon’s dilemma: I’d rather others get the child, than cut the child in half.
9
Trump did not appear able or willing to suggest his own solution. ... “The president told [Schumer] to go back and talk to Paul Ryan and Mitch McConnell and work it out...”
Aye, there's the rub: Trump really is a useless, vicious, empty-headed lump of Play-Doh in the hands of cynical Republicans who would sell our country down the river for narrow partisan gain. McConnell and Ryan soiled themselves a long time ago and are known quantities. Cotton here is showing himself to be an especially virulent piece of toxic waste.
115
As a lifelong Democrat, what exactly have you got to lose in holding out for human decency and the commitment made to the DACA recipients. It was President Trump who terminated it, but effusively promised Chuck & Nancy to save it as part of the deal to keep the government open. In the long run, it’s not who shutdown the government, but why. A principled stand is one that I and the majority of Americans welcome during these dark hours of bigotry, greed, and sexual misconduct. We’ve had enough “American carnage.” It’s time to stand firm for human dignity.
59
All of this political ambiguity has been launched on several fronts by a president with the attention span of a fruit fly, the integrity of a mob boss, a head that pivots ceaselessly 180 degrees this way and that, and whose positions are impossible to gauge because he has no position with a shelf life longer than an an unwrapped package of unrefrigerated Roquefort cheese.
48
This will be the culmination of a year of failed leadership. The Democrats must hang strong. This is the Republicans shutting down the government just like they did in 2013.
58
Lets all hope the Democrats stand firm and shutter the government tonight on behalf of 750,000 children brought to our country illegally. Once that happens, the Democrats will immediately loose whatever bargaining leverage they had. CHIP expires tonight and DACA expires in March. There will be no urgency to open a government already shut. The Republicans will blame the government shutdown on the Democrats claiming that they inconvenienced 320 million Americans on behalf of 750,000 illegal immigrants. Naturally the Democrats will object and claim it was the hard hearted Republican's fault. But, at face value, who will believe them? Be careful what you wish for.
11
For a refreshing change of subject matter, how about announcing a couple of fresh indictments Mr. Mueller?
42
Both Republicans and Democrats are hypocrites and just play to the extreme portion of their bases along with the rich who stuff their campaign coffers.
The Democrats care about DACA because they believe all future Hispanic voters will vote Democrat.
The Republicans pretty much just care about big business and the rich.
5
Nice try, but Democrats believe in DACA because it’s the right thing to do and human decency and human rights stand above all else.
Trump said on numerous occasions prior to 2016 that any government shutdown is ultimately the fault of the President. Google it for a good laugh.
46
Lindsay Graham made a similar statement last week, but the GOP either didn't hear it, misheard it, claimed it was never said, or heard something else entirely.
7
I dunno . . . it's strange to hear Democrats thinking shutting down the government is a good idea. They appear to be approaching this with the same gung-ho enthusiasm that Gingrich did in the mid 80s. I am not completely convinced that middle of the road independent care about the DACA issue as much as Democrats, and since they are riding that pony on the road to shutdown, I dont see a victory here for Democrats. Do you? It MIGHT be true that polls says people feel positively about keeping DACA -- but do polls also say shutting down the government is a legit way to accomplish this? These are two separate things, IMO. I dunno . . . I dont see a path to victory here for Dem.
13
Are you kidding? I'd be happy if they kept it closed til after the November elections. The republicans have been a disaster for the country.
12
What's even funnier is Republicans, despite having a clear majority in both chambers of the Congress, a conservative majority on the Supreme Court, and the Presidency, still can't reach an agreement to keep our government funded. Republicans excel at two things, tax cuts for the rich (check) and government shut downs (check). Two for two so far -- SAD!
11
Each time I see Trump and his merry band of Republicans( slightly bent) senators applauding each other as other important issues are set aside. A very big number of folks who have lived in the states are sitting on "pins and needles)" wondering what those guys are going to do to them. It could help the border issue if those long time folks were given the right to stay
5
If a goverment shutdown is what must be then can we also get the legislature and federal courts shut down as well.
Just refund the taxpayers all the funds that go to these institutions and we will be even. Not the ideal solution but certainly better than paying for services that the citizens are not getting.
7
Continual wars at the expense of all aspects of our lives .BE it funding
pubic education ,the enviornment ,infrastructure ,the FDA, etc.
We,the common man , are treated as chattel .As long as the continual
deregulation runs roughshod ,well I for one have little hope .
They should have taken care of Chip when they were cutting the individual mandate in their big beautiful tax plan but they didn't. In fact it was said that they didn't have the money or the political will to fund it but there was plenty of money to eliminate the estate tax and create a new lower tax class for business owners. Shame on all of them. Shut it down and keep it shut until Daca and Chip are taken care of
21
In 2013, the Republicans played hardball with their determination to do away with the ACA. After that, they won an election.
The public is fed up with the idea that this unqualified person now leads the nation, backed by republicans who have been obstructionists on every issue except their own for the past 8 years.
Democrats now much take a progressive role and not fold on keeping the government open.
Bernie Sanders should be negotiating to uphold a real democratic agenda. For 12 months, the republicans, along with their faux president, haven't missed an opportunity to rub democrats' faces in mud. Democrats should demand that republicans ensure that subsidies will be left alone for the ACA and demand justice for the corporate oligarchs who are whittling the repatriation taxes to a bare minimum. It's almost impossible to deal with such greed, but it must be done to ensure our democracy survives.
11
Trump governs by extortion; however, he is an incompetent extortionist because he is unsure of what his demands are. When he spells out a demand, it changes. When his Chief of Staff tries to be conciliatory, Trump undercuts him.
And when one attempts to address Trumps demands head on, Trump is at a loss, "Go ask McConnell and Ryan," so that Trump can later say they struck a bad deal that is not his fault.
We have no leader.
20
This is the Donald Trump shutdown.
Republicans had no problem passing the unnecessary tax cuts for the wealthiest without Democrats.
Republicans cannot pass this spending bill because Donald Trump has changed his position and is unwilling or unable to tell Republicans what he wants.
Republican leadership has said they were stabbed in the back by Donald.
If this shutdown is not avoided it will be only because of Donald Trump.
31
A NYT article last week recited that a majority of Americans now believe they will have a lower tax bill in the coming year. Apple and other companies are repatriating profits and manufacturing facilities, and promising to create tens of thousands of jobs. For those still left out in the cold after the 2008 economic meltdown, these things matter greatly. Consumer confidence, at least for now, is incredibly high.
3
@SW
Really? Ask those newly laid off Carrier employees in Indiana how they feel about that. And the coal miners just laid off in Pennsylvania. And ask that majority of Americans about their lower taxes when they go to file for 2018.
6
Ask those taxpayers if they are willing to pay for reduced revenue in 2027 when this tax farce sunsets. If we don't fund the government now, we will pay later; not the rich, but the middle class and the working poor.
California used to have a huge problem settling on an annual budget between state politicians.
But then our citizens voted to w/hold the pay of our state reps for everyday a budget was late and not agreed upon, circumstances changed real quickly. The annual budget has been set at least on time, and sometimes, even ahead of schedule in the past few years.
I totally agree w Claire McCaskill!
31
Clair McCaskill is up for a tough reelection bid this year in Missouri which, I believe, determined her vote. I would be happy to forward you all the emails she sends me for donations, I won't be needing them anymore.
Democrats, do the right thing. Stand up for those who don't have the financial clout to get government action. Republicans, learn that governing requires collaboration and compromise. Stand up to the freedom caucus types.
14
These people who want a shutdown to occur - cut it out! You’re being selfish thinking that way. To hold a government budget hostage over policy is irritating, as well as how polarized both parties have become to the point where they’re incapable of bipartisan compromise. This is another reason why first past the post voting systems are terrible, forcing a two-party system. There are real people affected by these shutdowns - even if backpay is granted what good is that if you’re living paycheck to paycheck? I’m in an area with many federal employees and one is already having to plan to apply for unemployment because of the looming shutdown. And what about the clinical trials at NIH - for some patients a clinical trial may be they’re only hope at a life saving drug or procedure. Some patients are in clinical trials because they can’t afford medication! I won’t digress onto the healthcare issue but acting like a shutdown is a good thing is choosing to ignore the people who need the government operating, regardless of how upsetting politicians from either side are...
13
Which Party tried 40 times to get rid of the Affordable Care Act and the subsidies necessary to help some citizens to pay the premiums? The GOP.
1
My son is a National Park Ranger on the Interpretive side (not Law Enforcement); he is out of work as of midnight today. Rangers do not make a lot of money. Most of them stay on as rangers for years, sometimes for their entire lives, because they love the parks they work and often live in. My son is more worried that his beloved Grand Canyon's delicate and fragile ecosystem will be permanently damaged as millions of visitors descend upon it without rangers to guide them, assist them, give informative talks and promote the overall health of the park. He is worried that, without rangers, some folks will be seriously hurt; you'd be surprised at the number of folks who attempt to hike the canyon without adequate supplies and training. There could very well be deaths during the shutdown; my son has had to rescue people on the trail down the canyon many times. Nevertheless, he supports standing up for what is morally right and refuses to give in to a president who has no clear, steady policy and changes his mind hourly, which is no way to run a country. VOTE in 2018.
1
My advice to Democrats is do NOT use paralyzing remedies to get policy concessions. When Republicans did the same, we could punch them on the face they walked into the abyss.
Wrong thing to do.:Remember the first week of coming November! Don't give Don, Mitch, and Ryan perfect decorations to embellish their collective lies.
2
The real question at the moment is whether the Republicans will actually make the Democrats engage in a filibuster. During the Obama Administration, when the shoe was on the other foot, the Democrats made the very big mistake of simply counting votes and not making the Republicans actually engage in a filibuster. In the age of C-Span and the internet, it would have been devastating to force the Republicans to stand in front of the cameras hour after hour doing some version of Strom Thurmond and others reading telephone books during filibusters against Civil Rights a half century ago.
Hopefully, the current crop of Republicans are as politically dumb as that crop of Democrats.
3
How many years and administrations have had this same type of budgetary impasse? Why can’t congress pass multi year budgets instead of these same ridiculous annual battles?
6
There was an awful lot of the people's business that was not being taken care of even before this latest "standoff." Good for the Democrats, upping the ante and placing the shameful neglect of Puerto Rico at the center of this debate.
Meanwhile it's clear from today's GOP talking points that DACA is indeed dead, and "the base" rule the Republican Party. No more calling them dreamers and pretending to care: we're back to lumping all "illegals" together, and slamming the door shut on negotiations.
Democrats should sharpen their message, and make this not about Trump, or about personalities, but about real, tangible issues. The Republicans have made their priorities clear: shoveling the wealth of this nation into the bank accounts of the already-rich, while ignoring everything else.
Immigration, education, infrastructure and, most heinously, disaster relief for so-called "blue" states. All of it willfully and maliciously neglected.
11
How many years has it been since the GOP-led House actually crafted a budget?
2
The Democrats won the popular vote in the Presidential Election. The Trump base and GOP popularity lately swings between 30-40%. Not hard to do the math that the majority of the country is appalled by the president and the GOP who refuse to negotiate. Appalling leadership by the GOP, real leadership by the Dems who are holding firm for the majority of voters and refuse to be played for false, make believe promises. How did that work out for you, Sen. Collins (R-Maine). Over the burn yet?
12
" Mr. Trump rejected a proposal by Mr. Schumer to fund the government through Tuesday to allow negotiations to continue."
This should be the headline.Trump has no interest in keeping the government open. He's wanted his own personal government shutdown all along. He watched the Republicans cave in past shutdowns. He is going to drag this thing out much, much longer than it needs to be in terms of policy.
Good luck with that strategy. You're already the least popular presidential office-holder in modern history. You're a one-termer, you just don't know it yet.
12
supporting yet another stopgap measure is equivalent to enabling an emotionally abusive partner, to pretending that the dysfunctional is functional. Let's recall that last year's budget, which was supposed to occur Oct 1, didn't get resolved until April, 7 MONTHS later. While Congress continues to refuse to do its job, millions of 'regular joe' federal employees are stymied in the nasty web of unnecessary additional administrative actions in response to each continuing resolutions. At least a shutdown would be acknowledgement of the Congressional dysfunction.
3
Both parties agree on passing CHIP, DACA, and a budget that would increase somewhat military and domestic spending (could include programs to fight the opioid epidemic, Puerto Rico money). Why don't they pass these?! They can have a bipartisan positive outcome here and spare us all the gov shutdown problems. They can look good! They can accomplish a lot of worthwhile legislation.
The immigration bill needs a lot more work and debate. There's a lot in there to sort out-myraids of issues surrounding the various visa categories, chain vs merit entry, border security issues, effects on trade, environment, etc. They haven't explored and vetted these issues enough. It can't be thrown together in 2 hours. They'll have plenty of opportunities to disagree!
Let's get done what is doable
5
The legislators should be hit on their salaries. Their job is to legislate on time and they failed. Again! In normal employment, you'd fire non-performers.
9
Much of our budget deficit and huge chunks of social programs, infrastructure, etc, could have been paid for with the money Trump has amassed against taxpayers for his outrageous family and partisan political travel. Estimates in the range of $150,000,000 for his FIRST year in office have been presented (compared to about $98 million for Obama in his EIGHT years).
Trump doesn't work, doesn't/can't read - he plays golf, attends "rallies" to support his galactic ego, takes photo ops signing useless declarations and watches TV incessantly - all at TAXPAYER EXPENSE.
I say put this fortune to good use for the hard-working people of America who don't have gaudy gold-plated toilets and private, now tax-deductible, jets. It is more than outrageous that WE pay for this Dotard AND his minions AND give them a huge tax gift to boot. They don't need it, and they don't deserve any of it. The buck stops here - claw it back if you can locate the cash he has laundered and buried in fake corporations.
16
There is a 250M loan sitting on his never released tax returns; the loan came through Deutsche Bank, laundered through The Bank of Cyprus, from Russians in London. Add in the 95M "property purchase" in FL, flown in on a private jet. Congress had nothing to say about those loans from Russians; Congress flatters this child President, gives him legislation to sign; he signs preening on camera without the slightest idea of what he is signing. Trump was very pleased with the tax bill saving him billions.
2
I'll bet you there is more than a handful of Republican supporters who were screaming for a government shutdown during Obama's presidency, but who are now crying about those "evil liberals" who want to destroy the military.
Your own medicine always tastes worst.
7
So what is so objectionable about a barrier to keep out undesirables? Hillary supported one to keep out Palestinians
https://web.archive.org/web/20071013145201/http://haaretz.com/hasen/page...
9
false equivalence. you are conflating domestic policy with international policy
3
Like it or not, Hillary said in 2013, right before illegal entries soared from 40,000 to 60,000 per month, that children arriving illegally should be sent home in many cases.
4
Hillary Clinton is not the president. What has she got to do with this?