Author Richard Cowan, David Morgan and Bo Erickson
Washington (Reuters) The White House meeting with US President Donald Trump -Democrats on Monday caused a possible compromise to end the government closing, which can disrupt the wide range of services on Wednesday.
Based on democratic sources who spoke with anonymity condition, the Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer and other legislators weigh the plan to extend the government’s funding seven days from Tuesday’s midnight (0400 Gmt Wednesday), buying time to resolve a permanent agreement. Sources said other options are on the table as well.
It is unclear whether the short and his colleagues will support the idea of the afternoon at the White House meeting to discuss the deadlock. The Democratic plan will require approval at the Republican House of Representatives to avoid interference.
Democrats say that any agreement to expand the government’s funding must also preserve the benefits that can be good for health. Trump Republicans require that health and government funding must be addressed as separate issues.
The Senate Republican leader John Thune sought to put pressure on Democrats by providing Tuesday’s vote on the Suspension Financing Law, which would finance the Government by November 21, November 21, more than the Democratic period and would not deal with health problems. Almost all Democrats voted against the draft law when it was claimed to vote on 19 September.
“It depends on Democrats,” the South Dakota Republican told reporters. He needs at least seven democratic votes to pass funding laws.
If the Congress was not being taken, thousands of federal government staff may be upset from NASA to national parks, and many services will be disrupted. Federal courts may have to be closed and grants may be delayed by small companies.
In the last 15 years, the budget release of Washington has become relatively common and is often resolved at the last minute. However, Trump’s desire to disregard or ignore the laws passed by the congress passed by Congress, a new aspect of uncertainty.
Trump refused to spend billions of dollars confirmed by Congress and threatens to expand federal workforce cleaning if the congress would allow the government to close. So far, only a few agencies have announced plans that have detailed how they will continue to close.
The 1.7 trillion USD “Discretion” is discussed, publishing the fund agencies operations, which make up about a quarter of the government’s $ 7 trillion budget. Most of the rest corresponds to health and retirement programs and interest payments for increasing debt of $ 37.5 trillion.
Chronic shutdown
Since 1981 There were 14 partial closures of government, which usually last only a few days. The latest was the longest, lasting 35 days in 2018 and 2019. As a result of a dispute over immigration during the first term of Trump.
This time, health care is argued. About 24 million Americans, who receive coverage through the Law on Affordable Supervision, will increase their expenses if the congress does not release temporary tax benefits that will end at the end of this year.
The Democratic leader of the palace Hakeem Jeffries said the Congress had to make these tax benefits permanent as higher health insurance premiums have been completed and the new registration period begins on November 1.
“We believe that it is simply unacceptable to agree with the Republican plan and continue to attack intestinal health care,” Jeffries said at a press conference on Monday.
Thune said Congress must first ensure that funding is no longer able to be solved before it has been solved.
“The main decisions should not be made in a hurry,” he wrote on the Washington Post opinion on Monday. “They really should not be prepared because one country threatens to close the government if it does not reach its way.”
Some democratic helpers proposed to support their party to support a short -term funding Act if Republicans agreed to vote on health care benefits. But Jeffries rejected the idea last week by saying that Republicans could not be trusted.
Democrats want to enliven their voting base before 2026. The average election of the Congress and is fundamentally behind the health care impetus.
However, democratic helpers have privately expressed concern that closing can lead to public responsibility if the Democrats do not effectively argue in their case, and instead it turns out to be contrary to what Trump wants – positions such as Thune, such as “short feelings syndrome.”
(Richard Cowan’s messages; additional reports by David Morgan, Katharine Jackson and James Olipant; wrote Andy Sullivan; edited by Scott Malė, Alistair Bell, David Gregorio and Deepa Babington)