House GOP leaders fear support eroding for Trump’s shutdown fight

Tony Stark

Tony Stark


House GOP leaders fear support eroding for Trump’s shutdown fight


House GOP leaders fear support eroding for Trump’s shutdown fight

A growing number of Republican lawmakers could vote for Democratic measures to reopen the federal government.

By JOHN BRESNAHAN and SARAH FERRIS

01/07/2019 06:22 PM EST

Several dozen House Republicans might cross the aisle this week to vote for Democratic bills to reopen shuttered parts of the federal government, spurring the White House into a dramatic effort tostem potential GOP defections.

White House officials and Republican congressional leaders worry that GOP support for the shutdown is eroding, weakening President Donald Trump’s hand as he seeks billions of dollars for a border wall that Democrats have vowed to oppose, according to GOP lawmakers and aides.

Hoping to sway skeptics in his party and the broader public, Trump will make an Oval Office address Tuesday night to discuss what he called the “Humanitarian and National Security Crisis on our Southern Border," he said on Twitter. Then he will visit the border region on Thursday.

Vice President Mike Pence and Homeland Security Secretary Kirstjen Nielsen will address House Republicans on Tuesday evening. The House is scheduled to vote Wednesday on a Democratic bill designed to fund the IRS and several other agencies, the first of four bills Democrats hope will peel off Trump's GOP support in the House.

Without more money, the IRS could have a problem processing tax refunds. Russ Vought, acting director of the Office of Management and Budget, reversed course Monday and said refunds will be paid out, another move by the White House to mitigate the effects of the shutdown.



The Democratic funding measure is one of several narrow measuresthat Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) and party leaders will push forward this week. The bills are designed to put pressure on GOP lawmakers to break with Trump and support re-opening the nine departments hit by the 17-day shutdown. More than 800,000 federal workers are currently not getting paid — roughly 350,000 remain on the job without pay — with their first missed paycheck coming later this week.

Despite the White House PR blitz, House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.), Minority Whip Steve Scalise (R-La.) and other senior Republicans believe that “a significant bloc” of House Republicans could vote with Democrats on the funding measures, according to GOP lawmakers and aides.

A senior House GOP aide said McCarthy and his top lieutenants believe 15 to 25 Republicans will vote with Democrats this week, possibly even more.

"We have a lot of members who are gonna want to vote for these things," said the GOP aide, speaking on the condition of anonymity. "Publicly, we will never tell them to do it. Privately, we will tell them to do what they have to do."


https://www.politico.com/story/2019/01/07/gop-support-trump-government-shutdown-1085348
 
https://gazette.com/news/sen-cory-g...cle_5cf5e73a-0fbe-11e9-8e6b-f36a6b476f8a.html


Republican Sen. Cory Gardner calls on Congress to end shutdown without border deal

Colorado's Cory Gardner became the first Republican senator to break with President Donald Trump over border wall funding, saying Thursday Congress should end the 13-day-old partial government shutdown and work out differences over border security later.

"We should pass the bipartisan appropriations bills that includes money for border security while we continue to fight for more border security money," Gardner said in a statement. "Congress needs to take further action on border security, but that work should be done when the government is fully open.”


Gardner was the first Republican senator to call for reopening the government without a deal on the border wall, which Democrats have rejected as ineffective and too expensive. Later Thursday, U.S. Sen. Susan Collins of Maine said she sees "no reason why the bills that are ready to go and on which we've achieved an agreement should be held hostage to this debate over border security."
 
All those government contracts are backed by private industry after all. Can't imagine some of those constituents are too happy after giving money to the GOP candidate of their liking.
 
  • Like
Reactions: TRS
Let us not forget that we already passed one pay period where many low paid workers for the government did not get a paycheck. Last data I saw that 50% of the federal workforce was GS 11 or below. 20% were GS 6 or below. Those people could give two fucks about a wall, they want to pay their bills rather than watch rich white people fight over billions.
 
This is what Republicans do.
When there is a chance the base can win on immigration or obamacare or anything else... they get to play a little Kabuki and then they fold to fake polls because the cronies have paid them to do so.

I remember the last shutdown... they had dems walking out of meetings smiling and Boehner put on and deer in headlights face.

I remember during the last immigration show down. NBC or one of these other polls came out and said Americans were massively for illegal immigration. all the republicans on the talk shows were say the party should cave.

A week later other polls came out and said even hispanic Americans were against illegal immigration.

So before I was hopeful for comprehensive immigration reform... now I believe the end game is that republicans will fold and give the democrats a veto override.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top