Senate Plans Thursday Votes That Could End Gov’t Shutdown

The Senate will consider two proposals to reopen agencies affected by the partial government shutdown on Thursday, at which point the longest lapse in funding in U.S. history will be in its 34th day.

At 2:30pm Eastern, the Senate will vote on the End the Shutdown and Secure the Border Act as an amendment to a House-passed bill. It’s the first bill the 116th Congress has considered during the shutdown that has the support of President Donald Trump, who outlined the plan in an address last Saturday. The bill would:

• Reopen agencies affected by the partial shutdown and fund them through the end of the fiscal year, September 30th.
• Include $5.7 billion in funding for construction of barriers in the top 10 priority areas of the southwest border identified by Customs & Border Protection, plus additional resources for improving other border security infrastructure and hiring personnel.
• Extend for three years the temporary legal status and work authorizations of recipients of Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) and Temporary Protected Status (TPS).
• Provide $12 billion in disaster relief to areas impacted by natural disasters in 2018.
• Reauthorize the Violence Against Women Act (which lapsed in December) through September.

The Senate will also vote on an amendment offered by Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY), which is the text of the bill they’re originally debating ― the House-passed continuing resolution to open the government through February 8th and provide disaster relief. The bill would:

• Reopen agencies affected by the partial shutdown through February 8th, which is 15 days from Thursday.
• Provide $12 billion in disaster relief to areas impacted by natural disasters in 2018.
• The bill would include no new funding for construction of barriers at the southwest border.

What are the prospects for passage?

It remains to be seen whether either proposal will have the necessary bipartisan support to overcome the 60 vote threshold needed to “invoke cloture” and limit further debate on the bill, which can then pass with a simple majority once debate expires.

The cloture vote on the End the Shutdown and Secure the Border Act would need the support of 7 Senate Democrats and all Republicans to succeed. While the House Democrats’ bill to reopen the government through February 8th would need 13 Republicans to cross the aisle, President Trump has threatened to veto legislation reopening the government that doesn’t fund construction of border barriers.

— Eric Revell

(Photo Credit: iStock.com / dkfielding)