Senate Republicans Reject Trump's "Nuclear Option" As Shutdown Negotiations Continue

Update: That didn't take long:

Bloomberg is reporting that, according to an aide to Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, Senate Republicans are opposing invoking the nuclear option, something President Trump urged them to do in a tweet this morning.

Meanwhile, Speaker Paul Ryan told reporters that House Republicans would support a bill that would kick the can to Feb. 8 if the Senate can pass it. While Republicans have picked up a few Democratic votes, they don't have nearly enough to overcome a filibuster, something that requires 60 votes.

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The first full day of the January 2018 government shutdown saw a spate of hurried but ultimately fruitless negotiations, and already the White House - which has been accused of exacerbating the problem by constantly shifting its negotiating position - has had enough: In a tweet this morning, President Donald Trump said Republicans should consider invoking “the nuclear option” to eliminate the possibility of an opposition fillibuster - allowing Republicans to pass a long-term spending bill with a simple majority (there are 51 Republican senators).

Right now, the Senate can approve presidential nominees for the courts and executive branch departments with a simple majority, but traditional legislation is still subject to a fillibuster that requires 60 votes to overcome.

Kicking off an early morning flurry of tweetstorm, Trump congratulated Republicans in Congress: "Great to see how hard Republicans are fighting for our Military and Safety at the Border. The Dems just want illegal immigrants to pour into our nation unchecked. If stalemate continues, Republicans should go to 51% (Nuclear Option) and vote on real, long term budget, no C.R.’s!"

Lawmakers in both parties are fighting to win the PR "blamegame" battle, hoping to brand their political opponents as the ones who are ultimately held accountable by the public for the shutdown. Democrats argue that, because Republicans control Congress and the White House, the public will inevitably blame them. Republicans have insisted that Democrats are being “obstructionist” and have sought to label it “the #Schumershutdown” after the Democratic leader in the Senate, Chuck Schumer.

Per the Hill, Democrats have complained loudly about the difficulty of negotiating with the president, telling media that Schumer and Trump were close to a deal during a Friday afternoon meeting until conservative Republicans interceded and shut it down. Subsequently, Schumer said that "Negotiating with this White House is like negotiating with Jello."

On Sunday, Congress is holding an unusual session that may be lawmakers’ last chance for a quick end to the shutdown, Bloomberg  reports.

While the partial shutdown began officially at 12:01 a.m. Saturday, federal agencies are largely waiting until Monday to implement it. That gives lawmakers one more deadline to act before the shutdown is in full force. Here’s a summary  of what will shut down during the shutdown.

Trump

Publicly, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell and Schumer have resisted being moved from their opposite positions. Behind the scenes, a senior House Republican told Bloomberg  Saturday that vote-counters were being told a deal could be reached Sunday to reopen the government. To be sure, Goldman Sachs - which has singular insight into the innerworkings of the executive branch thanks to the fact that its alumni are helping run the government - believes there’s a 60% chance the shutdown could "last up to a few weeks."

As discussed yesterday, Democrats are holding out for a deal to enshrine DACA protections for 690,000 undocumented immigrants who were brought to the US as children - a deal that, hopefully, limits the money spent on Trump’s border wall. Republicans, meanwhile, want a long-term deal that includes boosts to military spending.

Schumer said yesterday he still wants a bipartisan deal that sets budget caps for defense and non-defense spending, protects young undocumented immigrants from deportation, and provides disaster relief funds.

Meanwhile, McConnell has promised to keep fighting.

"We’ll be right back at this tomorrow and as long as it takes" to pass a spending bill, McConnell said Saturday evening.

To be sure, some Democrats - particularly those from states where Trump defeated Clinton by a sizable margin - are sounding more flexible about the terms of reopening the government, seeking more of a solid path toward an immigration bill and other goals than immediate action.

Circling back to Trump’s push for the so-called "nuclear option", Congressional Republicans haven’t yet commented on whether they’re considering it, although we expect the "official" GOP position on the matter will be disclosed later in the day.

Comments

MoreFreedom Max Cynical Jan 21, 2018 12:42 PM Permalink

I like the fact that Democrats are doing what GOP politicians have promised for decades: they've shut down the government stopping a lot of spending.  The RINOs really don't want to stop the spending spigot, but Trump has called their bluff.  And the Democrats (who always get their way with spending even though the GOP House could easily provide funding bills without funds for say Planned Parenthood, Import Export Bank, Obamacare, welfare and other boondoggles, but never do) who are used to getting their way are shutting down the government.  I love it.

Democrats are putting demographics and illegals ahead of the country, for their power.  It's that simple.

In reply to by Max Cynical

Endgame Napoleon BaBaBouy Jan 21, 2018 11:04 AM Permalink

All Deplorables who stood in long lines to vote for Trump ask is an end to mass-scale illegal immigration, propped up by welfare, that ensured a 4-decade span of wage stagnation, falling wages and higher rent—rent that now consumes more than half of our paychecks—due to more competition for units. So far, what we have gotten is doubled, refundable child tax credits that already topped out at $6,444, including for illegal immigrants who undercut citizens living on earned-only income—citizens who mostly have no monthly welfare and no child-tax-credit welfare to raise up low wages. Welfare-boosted illegal immigrants can afford to work these jobs more than citizens with earned-only income, and employers know it, hence their hiring patterns. This amnesty is being sold as “popular” via poll-confirmed sources. As in the 2016 presidential election, RepubliCONs are going to find out in the midterm elections how inaccurate polls are in this era.

In reply to by BaBaBouy

vealparm Endgame Napoleon Jan 21, 2018 12:25 PM Permalink

With all due respect Napoleon, polls are not "inaccurate".... they are rigged and fake. Most pollsters get the exact result they are looking for and desire by designing the questions in order to get said result and poll the "right people in the right sections of town to guarantee it.

"Random poll"...........hahahahaha.

"The poll said".....hahahahaha.

In reply to by Endgame Napoleon

Potato Farmer Jeffersonian Liberal Jan 21, 2018 11:00 AM Permalink

It's all fine and good that Trump is trying to wear down Schumer and the Democrats and goad them into looking more and more lame and foolish by the minute.

But tell me about Republicans.  How many of those guys and gals are true patriots for their country?  If there are any, they only get a few crumbs thrown at them.  Like feeding chickens.

In reply to by Jeffersonian Liberal

dasein211 tmosley Jan 21, 2018 12:01 PM Permalink

What the fuck do Republicans want MORE military spending for?! It sure as fuck doesn’t go to the soldiers. Seriously- we have no FEMA funds and our infrastructure is shit. Our hospitals are running short on saline, dobutamine, lidocaine but to name a few items. These guys are seriously clusterfucks. 

In reply to by tmosley

GIVJetMech Bes Jan 21, 2018 11:45 AM Permalink

Respectfully disagree.  It’s one thing to invoke the Nuclear Option for political appointee’s, quite another to invoke it for general law making.   At some point, it’s inevitable that Democrats will re-establish control.   When they do, we want this 60 vote rule IN PLACE!

The founding fathers designed it that way for a reason.  Our lawmakers were meant to give and take on issues.  But on REALLY IMPORTANT issues, we need the 60 vote rule to deny passage of stupid laws.  It’s unfortunate that the Democrats are using it for their own needs. Such as putting the needs of a few (DACA) ahead of the many (hundreds of MILLIONS of ACTUAL U.S. CITIZENS).  For a stronger voting base.  

Hopefully some day, the people we put in legislative positions will once again work for the good of the American People, instead of working for their own needs.  

In reply to by Bes

Clinteastwood GIVJetMech Jan 21, 2018 12:23 PM Permalink

The founding fathers DID NOT design the Senate’s filibuster in the Constitution.  Read your history (of the filibuster).  The real issue is whether our government has become unresponsive to the wishes of the people because of or in spite of the filibuster.  We’ve had active use of the filibuster only since the 1970s, so if you’re of the mind to limit the size and intrusiveness of the federal government, well.....doesn’t seem to me that the Senate filibuster has stopped the Congress from aggrandizing it’s and other federal power.  It may be that if the filibuster rule went away, the government would become more responsive TO THE MAJORITY.........but.......what balance would then be needed to protect the rights of the INDIVIDUAL from the TYRANNY OF THE MAJORITY?  History suggests that American majorities have voted to protect the individual from the tyranny of any majority.  But what about today?  Think we still have  the wisdom history offers?

In reply to by GIVJetMech

CatInTheHat Bes Jan 21, 2018 12:41 PM Permalink

Democrats already gave Trump money for his big and beautiful weapons with the NDAA Trump signed a month or two ago. But he wants 50 BILLION MORE. And Democrats once again, will give it to him. We are way above a trillion already.

Next up? Kill social security, Medicare and Medicaid to pay for it 

In reply to by Bes

chubbar cossack55 Jan 21, 2018 10:45 AM Permalink

That cocksucker Shumer wants not only 800,000 mostly middle aged illegal aliens to get citizenship, but all their parents and kids to as well. Fuck him! There are something like 12 million illegals in this country and they all vote Democrat because no voter ID laws and the fact that the DEMs have enabled this unlawful activity. Shut this shit down now, while we can!

Use the 51% maneuver and pass E-Verify, End Chain migration, Anchor babies, welfare for immigrants here for less than 5 years and put the so called "DACA" people on a list to immigrate while waiting outside the country. Pass funding for the border wall and get it built ASAP!

The GOP has bent over backwards to play fair. Does anyone think these asshole Dems would hesitate to invoke that rule? Do it and pass every damn bill sitting on McConnell's desk that will drain this swamp!

In reply to by cossack55

Pollygotacracker chubbar Jan 21, 2018 11:09 AM Permalink

There are more than 11-12 illegals in the U.S. That number has been bandied about since Reagan was in office. There are close to 45 million illegals in the country. And, they don't just sneak in over the southern border. They also fly into the country and over stay their visas. If we don't stop the invasion we will be f*cked for sure, if we aren't already.

In reply to by chubbar

CatInTheHat chubbar Jan 21, 2018 12:54 PM Permalink

Democrats using identity politics as a cover for draconian policies that have already harmed millions of Americans. 

Republicans exploit racism, while they ETHNICALLY cleanse the US, just like Zionists are doing to the Palestinians, as well as win support for wars in the middle East, which is the CAUSE of mass migration in the first place. 

I'm for a path for citizenship. Legally alot of these DACA kids, now adults have made huge contributions to our society and ARE NOT on welfare. A system destroyed by Bill Clinton 25 years ago. A recent fed report says that the biggest and most pervasive obstacle to US services for immigrants is FEAR OF DEPORTATION. The majority of those seeking and getting what is left of a welfare state after welfare reform 25 years go, ARE WHITE. NOT immigrants. Think RED STATES. 

Barry was the deportation KING having deported 25 million throughout his Presidential stint.

What you don't get is Democrats are fascists and Republicans are fascists, there is ZERO differences between the two.

The majority Democratic base (what's left of it) are minorities (most US citizens) and wealthy white CENTRISTS (re: NEOCONS).

Democrats are corrupt sleazy scum that serve the ZIONIST regime and war....both parties exploit minorities to get policies of HATE passed. 

In reply to by chubbar

lester1 Jan 21, 2018 10:19 AM Permalink

*Mass riots in liberal cities coming January 31st when rif raff and illegals don't get their welfare and food stamps.

 

And since liberals don't own guns, It will be open season on weak white liberals living in cities!

 

Popcorn ready!  😎👍