McConnell again blocks Democrat attempt to re-open US govt
Senate majority leader Mitch McConnell on Wednesday blocked a bill proposed by the Democrats to reopen the US government for the fourth time.
Democrats in the House have passed a series of bills that would reopen the government one department at a time, but the Senate has rejected them all as the do not include any money for President Donald Trump's $5.7bn border wall, which is supported my McConnell.
McConnell has backed Donald Trump’s position on the shutdown, which requires that any measure to end the shutdown include $5.7bn for a border wall.
The partial shutdown reached its 33rd day on Wednesday, forcing 800,000 employees to work without pay or be laid off.
McConnell's rejection comes a day before the Senate is expected to hold votes on competing proposals to reopen the government.
The first, backed by the White House, includes money for the wall in exchange for a three-year extension of protections for temporary protection for young people brought to the US - otherwise know as the 'dreamers'.
If that measure does not get the required 60 votes to pass then the Senate will then take a second vote on a proposal to temporarily reopen the government with a continuing resolution to February 8.
However, the Democrats said Trump had to reopen the government before they would negotiate as they were concerned that any agreement during a shutdown would set a precedent for using closure as a negotiating tactic.