House-passed Stopgap Measure in Senate Limbo
BY JORDAIN CARNEY
The Hill
12/21/18 01:46 PM EST
A stopgap government funding measure that provides $5.7 billion for President Trump's wall and border security is stuck in Senate limbo.
The Senate began taking an initial procedural vote on the House-passed bill at 12:31 p.m., but quickly ran into problems.
The vote has currently been open for more than four hours with the tally at 44-46, a few votes short of the amount needed to advance it.
Republicans hold a one-seat majority, meaning if every senator voted they could afford to lose one GOP senator and still let Vice President Pence break a tie. GOP Sen. Jeff Flake (Ariz.), who is retiring, voted against proceeding on the House bill.
"Right now it's still an open question" if we'll get on the bill, Sen. John Thune (R-S.D.) told reporters after the vote had been open for more than an hour and a half. "Hopefully we'll know soon."
Absent an elevnth-hour agreement the House bill is expected to fail in the Senate, where it will need to overcome a 60-vote filibuster. But failing on the first procedural vote would be a setback for Republicans, and an embarrassment for Trump, showing his preferred plan can't get even a simple majority in the Senate.
Hours into the vote, Vice President Pence, acting White House chief of staff Mick Mulvaney and White House adviser Jared Kushner briefly met with Senate Democratic Leader Charles Schumer (D-N.Y.), sparking hope among senators about the chances of a deal.
"The fact that that's happening represents progress," said Sen. John Cornyn (R-Texas), the No. 2 Senate Republican. "I'm feeling now better than I did an hour ago because that meeting is occurring."
It's not clear if every senator will be in Washington, D.C., for the vote.
Scores of senators returned home Wednesday, after the Senate passed a seven-week bill that didn't include the boost in border funds, though several indicated they would return for a crucial government funding vote.
"We have some that aren't coming back for various reasons. ..Some have no incentive to come back because they're not returning in January," Cornyn said.
Several senators including Sens. Bob Corker (R-Tenn.), Dianne Feinstein(D-Calif.), Orrin Hatch (R-Utah), Dean Heller (R-Nev.), Doug Jones (D-Ala.), Jon Kyl (R-Ariz.), Patty Murray (D-Wash.), Rand Paul (R-Ky.) and Tom Udall (D-N.M.) haven't yet voted.
Corker, who is retiring, was spotted chatting with Democrats on the Senate floor. He then left the floor without voting and told reporters as he went to talk with Republicans that he needed "intel."
The Hill
12/21/18 01:46 PM EST
A stopgap government funding measure that provides $5.7 billion for President Trump's wall and border security is stuck in Senate limbo.
The Senate began taking an initial procedural vote on the House-passed bill at 12:31 p.m., but quickly ran into problems.
The vote has currently been open for more than four hours with the tally at 44-46, a few votes short of the amount needed to advance it.
Republicans hold a one-seat majority, meaning if every senator voted they could afford to lose one GOP senator and still let Vice President Pence break a tie. GOP Sen. Jeff Flake (Ariz.), who is retiring, voted against proceeding on the House bill.
"Right now it's still an open question" if we'll get on the bill, Sen. John Thune (R-S.D.) told reporters after the vote had been open for more than an hour and a half. "Hopefully we'll know soon."
Absent an elevnth-hour agreement the House bill is expected to fail in the Senate, where it will need to overcome a 60-vote filibuster. But failing on the first procedural vote would be a setback for Republicans, and an embarrassment for Trump, showing his preferred plan can't get even a simple majority in the Senate.
Hours into the vote, Vice President Pence, acting White House chief of staff Mick Mulvaney and White House adviser Jared Kushner briefly met with Senate Democratic Leader Charles Schumer (D-N.Y.), sparking hope among senators about the chances of a deal.
"The fact that that's happening represents progress," said Sen. John Cornyn (R-Texas), the No. 2 Senate Republican. "I'm feeling now better than I did an hour ago because that meeting is occurring."
It's not clear if every senator will be in Washington, D.C., for the vote.
Scores of senators returned home Wednesday, after the Senate passed a seven-week bill that didn't include the boost in border funds, though several indicated they would return for a crucial government funding vote.
"We have some that aren't coming back for various reasons. ..Some have no incentive to come back because they're not returning in January," Cornyn said.
Several senators including Sens. Bob Corker (R-Tenn.), Dianne Feinstein(D-Calif.), Orrin Hatch (R-Utah), Dean Heller (R-Nev.), Doug Jones (D-Ala.), Jon Kyl (R-Ariz.), Patty Murray (D-Wash.), Rand Paul (R-Ky.) and Tom Udall (D-N.M.) haven't yet voted.
Corker, who is retiring, was spotted chatting with Democrats on the Senate floor. He then left the floor without voting and told reporters as he went to talk with Republicans that he needed "intel."
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