February 08, 2018
Senate votes to reopen government and boost spending; House vote looms
WASHINGTON — An hour and a half into yet another government shutdown, the Senate approved a massive two-year budget agreement early Friday that would reopen the government for six weeks and pave the way for more than $400 billion in increased defense and domestic spending.
The 71-to-28 Senate vote, which took place just before 2 a.m., capped a topsy-turvy day that featured filibuster threats, fuming congressional leaders, and frenzied vote counting. The drama — and the shutdown — threatened to stretch into dawn as the budget bill moves to the House, where its fate remains in uncertain amid bitter divisions in both parties.
In the Senate, one Republican lawmaker — Rand Paul of Kentucky — delayed the final vote until after a midnight deadline when funding for the government ran out and a partial shutdown took effect. Like other conservatives, Paul said the budget agreement would pave the way for big spending and ballooning deficits, and he said he was willing to force a shutdown to draw attention to the problem.
The spending deal would eliminate strict budget caps — set in 2011 to reduce the federal deficit — and pave the way for Congress to increase defense spending by $165 billion and hike domestic spending by $131 billion over the next two years. The agreement, negotiated by congressional leaders and released late Wednesday night, also includes billions of dollars in “emergency” funding that doesn’t count against the spending caps.
“We have Republicans hand-in-hand with Democrats offering us trillion-dollar deficits,” Paul said on the Senate floor Thursday night. “I want people to feel uncomfortable" voting in favor of big deficits, he said.
Paul certainly caused discomfort. Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell of Kentucky begged his home-state colleague to stop his dilatory tactics and offered to let him make his point with a procedural vote. "Funding for the government expires in just a few hours," McConnell warned just before 6 p.m., to no avail.
Under Senate rules, Paul had to relent at 1 a.m. Friday, when Senate leaders won a motion to take up the bill and then ushered it toward final passage. Fifteen other Republicans joined Paul in voting against the bill, with many expressing similar objections about the increased deficit spending.
Eleven Democrats and independent Bernie Sanders of Vermont also voted no. Although it included new money for health care, education infrastructure, and other cherished Democratic priorities, several Democrats said they could not support a deal that did nothing to protect the DREAMers, the undocumented immigrants who came to the U.S. as children.
“This bill does not address the great moral issue of our time – the fact that in three weeks 800,000 young Dreamers will lose their legal status and be subject to deportation,” said Sen. Bernie Sanders, a Vermont independent who caucuses with the Democrats.
President Trump in September said he would end an Obama-era program that granted legal status and work permits to the DREAMers, who could be subject to deportation as early as March 5. Many Democrats see the spending bill as their only point of leverage to shield those immigrants.
In the House, Democratic leader Nancy Pelosi is opposing the deal and pressuring House Speaker Paul Ryan, to promise an open debate on legislation to protect the DREAMers — something McConnell has promised Senate Democrats. She led Democrats in reiterating that demand in a letter to Ryan sent just after the shutdown began at midnight.
Ryan so far has resisted, saying he will only bring up a bill that Trump supports. But since many conservatives will oppose the budget deal, Ryan will need significant Democratic support to win passage in that chamber.
Rep. Michelle Lujan Grisham, chairwoman of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus, said Thursday that Democrats may have enough leverage to force Ryan’s hand.
“He needs us,” she said. “Our sense is (GOP leaders) don’t have the votes.”
There’s no question that conservatives are in full revolt over the budget deal.
"It makes President Obama look like a master of financial restraint,” said Mark Meadows, R-N.C., chairman of the ultra-conservative Freedom Caucus. He predicted Ryan would lose 60 to 70 Republican votes when the budget deal comes to the House floor.
Latest News
Top news around the world
Academy Awards

‘Oppenheimer’ Reigns at Oscars With Seven Wins, Including Best Picture and Director

Get the latest news about the 2024 Oscars, including nominations, winners, predictions and red carpet fashion at 96th Academy Awards

Around the World

Celebrity News

> Latest News in Media

Watch It
Olivia Munn Reveals Breast Cancer Diagnosis and Double Mastectomy Procedure | E! News
March 13, 2024
kUaEV1Kd3S0
Travis Kelce Shares Details From His Trip to Singapore With Taylor Swift | E! News
March 13, 2024
3YXi-Dgf4eg
Kate Middleton VIRAL Photo: Agency Addresses Photoshop Claims | E! News
March 13, 2024
S4VkO0TpkCY
Da'Vine Joy Randolph Plays 'Smash or Pass' With Iconic Moments From Her Career
March 13, 2024
vkPdJEF2BX4
Jean Smart Wears a Hotel Bathrobe to Present an Award to Hannah Einbinder l Power of Comedy SxSW
March 12, 2024
Bw7uVEYQev4
Lenny Kravitz Walk of Fame Ceremony
March 12, 2024
MlWq8BcnwhE
Dak Prescott Extortion Plot & Steph Curry for President? | TMZ Sports Full Ep - 3/12/24
March 13, 2024
jHFsrjs7OFY
A Japanese space rocket blew up after takeoff Tuesday, turning the sky into a fireball of smoke.
March 13, 2024
YkfJ3Qg8B7c
#KimKardashian and #BiancaCensori hung out at #KanyeWest's listening party Tuesday night!
March 13, 2024
EfwLLq6bx9k
‘Pioneer Woman’ Ree Drummond denies using Ozempic to lose 60 pounds
March 13, 2024
Omfjk1AlZ3A
Chrissy Teigen reveals her ‘boob lift scars’ in daring dress at Jay-Z & Beyoncé’s Oscars 2024 party
March 13, 2024
VxZ2qXAlpmU
Zoë Kravitz pokes fun at dad Lenny Kravitz's style during Hollywood Walk of Fame speech
March 13, 2024
j3-lcFu_1sQ
TV Schedule
Late Night Show
Watch the latest shows of U.S. top comedians

Sports

Latest sport results, news, videos, interviews and comments
Latest Events
17
Mar
SPAIN: La Liga
Atletico Madrid - Barcelona
17
Mar
ENGLAND: FA Cup
Manchester United - Liverpool
17
Mar
ITALY: Serie A
Inter Milan - Napoli
17
Mar
GERMANY: Bundesliga
Borussia Dortmund - Eintracht Frankfurt
17
Mar
ENGLAND: FA Cup
Chelsea - Leicester City
17
Mar
ITALY: Serie A
Roma - Sassuolo
17
Mar
ITALY: Serie A
Verona - AC Milan
17
Mar
ITALY: Serie A
Juventus - Genoa
17
Mar
GERMANY: Bundesliga
SC Freiburg - Bayer Leverkusen
17
Mar
USA: Major League Soccer
Atlanta United - Orlando City
17
Mar
ENGLAND: Premier League
West Ham United - Aston Villa
17
Mar
SPAIN: La Liga
Rayo Vallecano - Real Betis
17
Mar
ENGLAND: Championship
Leeds - Millwall
17
Mar
SPAIN: La Liga
Las Palmas - Almeria
17
Mar
SPAIN: La Liga
Villarreal - Valencia
17
Mar
SPAIN: La Liga
Sevilla - Celta Vigo
16
Mar
GERMANY: Bundesliga
Darmstadt - Bayern Munich
16
Mar
ENGLAND: FA Cup
Manchester City - Newcastle United
16
Mar
ENGLAND: Premier League
Fulham - Tottenham Hotspur
16
Mar
SPAIN: La Liga
Osasuna - Real Madrid
13
Mar
CHAMPIONS LEAGUE: 1/8 Final
Atletico Madrid - Inter Milan
12
Mar
CHAMPIONS LEAGUE: 1/8 Final
Barcelona - Napoli
12
Mar
CHAMPIONS LEAGUE: 1/8 Final
Arsenal - Porto
11
Mar
ENGLAND: Premier League
Chelsea - Newcastle United
10
Mar
ENGLAND: Premier League
Liverpool - Manchester City
10
Mar
SPAIN: La Liga
Real Madrid - Celta Vigo
10
Mar
ENGLAND: Premier League
Aston Villa - Tottenham Hotspur
10
Mar
ITALY: Serie A
Juventus - Atalanta
10
Mar
ITALY: Serie A
Fiorentina - Roma
10
Mar
ITALY: Serie A
AC Milan - Empoli
09
Mar
GERMANY: Bundesliga
Werder Bremen - Borussia Dortmund
09
Mar
ENGLAND: Premier League
Arsenal - Brentford
09
Mar
ITALY: Serie A
Bologna - Inter Milan
Find us on Instagram
at @feedimo to stay up to date with the latest.
Featured Video You Might Like
zWJ3MxW_HWA L1eLanNeZKg i1XRgbyUtOo -g9Qziqbif8 0vmRhiLHE2U JFCZUoa6MYE UfN5PCF5EUo 2PV55f3-UAg W3y9zuI_F64 -7qCxIccihU pQ9gcOoH9R8 g5MRDEXRk4k
Copyright © 2020 Feedimo. All Rights Reserved.