Senate sets vote to break US government shutdown impasse
Senate leaders have agreed to hold votes this week on proposals that could lead to a reopening of the government and provide relief for 800,000 federal workers.
Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell set up the two showdown votes for Thursday. One vote will be on Trump’s offer to trade border wall funding for temporary protections for some immigrants, which was quickly rejected by Democrats. The second vote is set for a bill approved by the House to reopen the government without funding for the wall.
Both measures are expected to fall short of the minimum 60 votes needed to pass, leaving the impasse as it is. If the measures go through, then the government would reopen for a further three weeks.
McConnell accused Democrats of preferring “political combat with the president” to resolving the partial federal shutdown.
Trump recently offered relief for immigrants called “Dreamers” in exchange for the wall but Democrats have said they will not trade a temporary restoration of the immigrants’ protections from deportation in return for a permanent border wall they view as ineffective.
"Without a Wall our Country can never have Border or National Security," Trump tweeted Tuesday. "With a powerful Wall or Steel Barrier, Crime Rates (and Drugs) will go substantially down all over the U.S. The Dems know this but want to play political games. Must finally be done correctly. No Cave!"