Short-term spending bill blocked by Senate Democrats

Associated Press

WASHINGTON

Senate Democrats late Thursday blocked a quick vote on a short-term spending bill to keep the government open, roiling Washington with brinkmanship less than 30 hours before a midnight deadline tonight for a shutdown and President Donald Trump’s 100th day in office.

Majority Leader Mitch McConnell pressed for an agreement on the short-term legislation that will carry through next week, giving lawmakers more time to complete negotiations on a $1 trillion governmentwide spending bill for the remainder of the 2017 budget year.

Democratic leader Chuck Schumer insisted that any vote only occur when Republicans abandon efforts to add provisions on abortion, financial regulations and the environment to the legislation.

“Our position has been clear and it’s nothing new. No poison-pill riders,” Schumer said.

The House is scheduled to vote on the one-week extension this morning, and the Senate could still vote ahead of the deadline.

Sen. Rand Paul, R-Ky., said he’s “perpetually disappointed Congress does not pass individual appropriation bills,” and called the process “an abysmal failure.”

In addition to the inability to come up with a spending deal that could pass ahead of Trump’s 100-day mark, the House GOP looked unlikely to give Trump a victory on health care before then. A revised health care bill has won the support of the hard-right House Freedom Caucus, holdouts on an earlier version that collapsed last month, but GOP leaders were struggling to round up votes from moderate-leaning Republicans.

“I don’t know if it’s bringing anyone over,” said Rep. Chris Smith, R-N.J., who said he had been lobbied by leadership but still opposed the legislation because it undoes an expansion of Medicaid under President Barack Obama’s Affordable Care Act. “There’s much of ‘Obamacare’ that has to be fixed. That part of it is critical,” Smith said.

Trump himself unleashed a tweetstorm of criticism of Democrats involved in negotiations on the spending bill, accusing them of trying to close national parks and jeopardize the safety of U.S. troops.

“As families prepare for summer vacations in our National Parks - Democrats threaten to close them and shut down the government. Terrible!” Trump tweeted.