“Republicans have inserted six-years worth of funding for the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP) as a carrot to lure democrat votes, and as a stick to beat them with if they don’t vote to avoid a government shutdown.”
The blame game is in full effect. With a government shutdown becoming a near certainty, the finger pointing has begun. Republicans have been heaping blame on Democrats. Meanwhile, Democrats have pointed out that the Republican Party controls both Congress and the White House. For its part, the White House has been distancing itself from the shutdown, while President Trump has gone after Democrats directly.
According to President Trump, Democrats are siding with illegal immigrants over poor American children. Democrats have been insistent that protections be extended to the roughly 700,000 “Dreamers” living in the United States. Most Dreamers were brought to the United States as young children. Notwithstanding citizenship, many are American in every other sense of the word.
Republicans have inserted six-years worth of funding for the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP) as a carrot to lure democrat votes, and as a stick to beat them with if they don’t vote to avoid a government shutdown. The CHIP program is one of the most cherished Democratic programs and insures roughly 9 million children.
The government bills to support CHIP expired last fall, and the program has been running on fumes. The program is dangerously close to running out of funding. For his part, President Trump believes that CHIP funding should be part of a long-term solution:
CHIP should be part of a long term solution, not a 30 Day, or short term, extension!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 18, 2018
Regardless, the CHIP funding has allowed the Republican Party to pass the buck back to Democrats. With 60 votes needed in the Senate, some Democratic support is needed. Two Republicans have likewise announced that they would not support the short-term funding stop-gap, putting even more pressure on the Republican leadership to corral Democratic votes.
The current measure would keep the government running until February. Republicans have argued that there is no deadline for negotiating immigration. Thus, Democrats can vote for the short-term stop-gap, get funding for CHIP, and then negotiate a longer-term solution come February.
President Trump has canceled a trip to Mar-a-Lago trip this weekend due to the looming government shutdown. Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer headed to the White House Friday to try to iron out a deal to avoid the shutdown. As of Friday afternoon, both sides were reporting progress but a deal has remained elusive.
Republican Senator Tom Cotton, one of the more vocal anti-immigration proponents, has come on record stating that he hopes Trump will talk “some sense” into Schumer. For a President who’s platform was built on the promise to cut deals, the next few days could be pivotal for his legacy. Chief of Staff John Kelly, known for his no BS approach, is also part of the meetings.
Despite the negotiations, many are still expecting a government shutdown at midnight tonight. However, as of 6PM President Trump threw his support behind a four week deal. Previously, the President had been pushing for a long-term solution. With his support, the chances of securing a short-term stop-gap are improving. Reportedly, Democrats are seeking a shorter “few day” extension.
Midnight Update: No deal was reached, and the government officially reached shutdown. No, planes won’t fall from the sky and society won’t collapse. However, many non-vital government agencies will be going into hibernation so to speak. Both sides continue to blame another.
