UPDATED: Democrats hold the line as GOP scrambles to avoid shutdown

[DonViejo]

Source: Politico



By HEATHER CAYGLE 01/18/2018 12:51 PM EST

House Democrats are holding firm in opposition to a short-term spending bill, even as Republicans in both chambers struggle to round up enough votes to keep the government open beyond Friday.

House Democratic leaders have been preaching a message of unity to their members all week, emphasizing that sticking together is their biggest leverage point to force Republicans into serious negotiations to protect Dreamers.

"This is like giving you a bowl of doggy doo, put a cherry on top and called it chocolate sundae," House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.), referring to the GOP spending bill, told reporters Thursday.

Lawmakers remain at an impasse over the fate of the roughly 700,000 young undocumented immigrants facing deportation, with enough members in both chambers threatening to withhold their votes on a spending bill that a government shutdown is a very real possibility.

Read more: https://www.politico.com/story/2018/01/18/government-shutdown-2018-democrats-345707?lo=ap_b1

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UPDATE:

Senate Dems say they have votes to block spending bill as shutdown edges closer

BY JORDAIN CARNEY - 01/18/18 04:13 PM EST

Senate Democrats say they have secured the votes to block a House plan to fund the government through mid-February.

A Democratic aide confirmed that the caucus will be able to block Republicans from getting the 60 votes needed to overcome an initial procedural hurdle.

"Yes. And with the Republicans it's not close," the staffer told The Hill, asked whether Democrats will be able to block the legislation. Three Republicans — Sens. Rand Paul (Ky.), Lindsey Graham (S.C.) and Mike Rounds (S.D.) — have also said they will oppose the House plan, bringing the total opponents to 41.

According to The Hill's whip list, 38 Democratic senators are prepared to vote "no" on the GOP bill in addition to the three Republicans.

more
http://thehill.com/blogs/floor-action/senate/369615-senate-dems-say-they-have-votes-to-block-spending-bill-as-shutdown

[lagomorph777]

1. Whoah Nancy, that's mean!

[TheCowsCameHome]

2. In fact, they deserve a second helping. n/t

Poo is a dish best served hot.

[Raster]

3. ...best served HOT and STEAMING!

[underpants]

7. Donnie likes two scoops

[byronius]

4. Glad to hear the Dems are solid about this.

And that the GOP is splintering. Awesome.

[TheCowsCameHome]

5. Yes. Let them squirm like eels.

[BumRushDaShow]

6. If they made it palatable for the teabaggers in the House

they could pass it there but it would find a sure death in the Senate.

[Gothmog]

8. Yeah

[herding cats]

9. Republicans havent included the Dems in any of these meetings.

I wonder if they’re regretting that any yet?

[thucythucy]

10. While I appreciate the Representative's scatological reference

to me all of this seems more like Munich 1938 than dealing in dog shit.

These folks on the right see compromise and negotiation as weakness. The more we give in, the more they demand, which has been the pattern ever since President Obama was first inaugurated. They'll keep on this way until every gain made during the New Deal, hell, every gain made during the "progressive" era of the early 20th century are in danger.

I speak as someone who will most likely be hurt by a government shutdown. But I'd prefer this pain today and tomorrow in order to protect the Dreamers now, and defend our safety net, not to mention our democracy itself, in the future.

[msongs]

11. good news! but 11 dems that will not vote no? nt

[elmac]

13. we need a 100% united party

in order to fight the fascists. Fight then on everything, don't give an inch.

[Marthe48]

12. Repugs, altright, anti-immigrants chickens!

I've volunteered with 2 programs involving exchange and international students for over 20 years. I have met young people from literally all over the world. I have also met people from my community. I'll be the first to say that the students are all outstanding in academics and personality. Well, yes. You have to be educated to want to live and study away from home. You have to have character traits such as optimism, courage, problem-solving, outgoing and other. The students have been wonderful additions to their host families and to our community. I am always impressed with the courage the students exhibit, knowing that they will live away from their parents, in a strange country, different language. Aside from having the honor of meeting the students, my family and I got to learn in-depth about other cultures. After she went home, we were invited to visit the first student we had in her country with her family and friends. You just can't see a country in a better way. And even if we haven't got to visit all of the students we hosted, we remain in touch with many of them, their friends, local and distant, and families and host families.

Being part of this slice of life has opened me to meeting other people, no matter what outer shell they wear. I like being part of the world and meeting other people who share this view.

I feel like I am really part of the world and not just my back yard. I think the people who don't want immigrants are selfish, and fearful, afraid they'll have to share their resources, their space. It is easy to see a visible difference, like skin color and focus on that. But people are people. I feel bad when someone who looks different from me automatically dislikes me. They don't know me, and they don't want to know me. Stereotypes happen. Politician and leaders should know better. Instead of feeding the fears and ignorance of the biased, they should be helping to educate all of us. We have this planet. Humans, no matter what color, are all humans. We should be respecting the differences and celebrating what we have in common.

I'm hoping that our Congress and Senate will see what a complete boob tripe is and pass a fair and decent bill that protects immigrants here now,and overrides his veto.

[elmac]

14. and we must remember

when the fascists shut the government down they walked away clean as a whistle.

[rpannier]

15. Relying on republikkans is a fools errand. I'd prefer 41 be all Dems

Though I guess Rand will likely hold his ground
The other two, forget it

[babylonsister]

16. Game of chicken?

The blocking will now be blamed on Dems, but I am glad they're holding firm.

[turbinetree]

17. Good the republican own this , and so does the sexual predator

After more considerable thinking I want the government to shut down, then Ryan, and McConnell , and sexual predator can't do anymore damage to the peoples government, no more appointments to the bench, no more land being given to the polluters.............shut it down, Social Security and Medicare Medicaid don't stop, the military doesn't stop funding....................shut it down

The people that are affected are the government employees that are non-essential, and the contractors-------------shut it down

They have been playing on the public for over 2 years, and they could have funded the CHiPs program last September, they (republicans) had a chance to resolve the DACA


The fascists republicans the enablers of a traitor own this and he owns them --------------FUCK them

No more thirty day, then Paul "ayn rand" Ryan can come back in March and go after Social Security, Medicare, and Medicaid to pay for the tax cut fuck them and him





November 2018 cannot get here fast enough

[MichMan]

18. Shut it down !

Dem leadership needs to have a daily press conference explaining that until the Republicans pass a DACA deal enshrined in law, including amnesty and a path to full citizenship, that the government will remain shut down, period. it will remain shut down for as long as it takes even if it is for the remainder of the year