Few Republicans joined House Democrats on Thursday as they voted to reopen government agencies that have been partially shut down for nearly three weeks, a sign they are sticking with President Trump as he fights to secure funding for his border wall.
The House, led mostly by Democrats, approved legislation to fund the nation’s agriculture and food stamp programs as well as a bill to pay for the departments of Transportation and Housing and Urban Development. The votes were part of a Democratic plan to ramp up the pressure on Republicans to cave in and agree to open the government without any of the border wall funding Trump is demanding.
But most Republicans didn’t bite. The Transportation and HUD bill passed 244-180, with a dozen Republicans voting on the measure. The farm and food stamps funding bill won the backing of just 10 Republicans, and passed 243-183.
It was a slight uptick in GOP support from Wednesday’s passage of legislation to fund financial services legislation, which pays for the operations of the IRS, Securities and Exchange Commission, and other agencies. Eight Republicans crossed the aisle to vote with Democrats on that measure.
House Democrats are hoping each passing day will bring more Republican support for ending the shutdown fight without federal funding for a wall.
Democrats will call up the Interior Department funding bill on Friday, which funds parks and the EPA. They will take up three additional spending bills next week in their effort to pressure the GOP to cave in on the fight over wall funding.
As of Friday, the impasse will be tied for the longest partial government shutdown in history, and on Saturday, it will become the longest ever.
Republicans are blaming Democrats for refusing to agree to any border wall funding, despite signals from Trump that he is willing to accept less than his initial $5 billion request.
“The Democrats continue to dig in their heels and not budge,” said Rep. Ted Yoho, R-Fla. “Republicans have shown time and again they are willing to talk.”
But GOP lawmakers are becoming increasingly anxious about the shutdown. Nine departments and dozens of agencies have been partially closed since Dec. 22, and government operations have been increasingly hobbled.
“Friday’s pay day,” said Sen. Susan Collins, R-Maine, on Thursday. “I don’t want hundreds of thousands of federal employees going without paychecks.” About 800,000 federal workers impacted by the lapsed bills will not receive paychecks Friday.
In the Senate, a small group of Republicans, including Collins, want Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., to take up two spending bills House Democrats passed last week that would fund all the lapsed spending bills but which provide no wall funding. Those Republicans said they would then negotiate a border security and wall funding deal with the Democrats.
But prospects for any kind of accord with Democrats dimmed Thursday when a burgeoning deal to exchange wall funding for a provision to legalize “Dreamers” fell apart. The failure of those talks signaled that Democrats would never agree to wall funding.
The talks, spearheaded by Judiciary Committee Chairman Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., were considered a last-ditch option to bring both parties to the table to secure a deal on government spending and money for a wall, which Trump said is necessary in order for him to sign the spending bills. It would have exchanged wall funding for a deal to legalize Dreamers, who came to the United States illegally as children.
A dejected Graham told reporters the talks fell apart and that he was headed to the Senate gym.
“Very disappointed to hear that Speaker Pelosi refuses to work with President Trump on border funding, even if the government were to reopen,” Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., said Thursday on Twitter. “As long as this attitude exists, there is no pathway forward.”
The fight over wall funding has brought the Senate to a halt. Democrats have pledged to filibuster any legislation until McConnell agrees to take up legislation House Democrats and a few Republicans passed last week to fund the lapsed departments and agencies.
Senate Democrats have now twice filibustered an important Middle East security bill.
Senate Appropriations Committee Chairman Richard Shelby, R-Ala., who had long hoped to pass all 12 spending bills on time and through regular order, lamented the record shutdown and the impact on federal workers and contractors.
“There are going to be a lot of people without funds, and they are going to have to scramble around,” Shelby said. “They are the innocent victims of a big power struggle. I think it’s going to last a while.”
But Shelby said Republicans will nonetheless remain united.
“I think the caucus will hold,” Shelby said. “The overwhelming majority will stay together, and that’s all we need.”
On Thursday, the 12 Republicans voting for the HUD-Transportation bill were Reps. Rodney Davis, Ill.; Brian Fitzpatrick, Pa.; Jamie Herrera Beutler, Wash.; Will Hurd, Texas; John Katko, N.Y.; Peter King, N.Y.; Adam Kinzinger, Ill.; Chris Smith, N.J.; Elise Stefanik, N.Y.; Steve Stivers, Ohio; Fred Upton, Mich.; and Greg Walden, Ore.
That same group supported the agriculture bill, except for Reps. King and Stivers.
