Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) passed her 11th bill while Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) has hidden himself away rather than do his job. Instead of fulfilling his role as a co-equal branch of the U.S. government, he acts as if he works for Donald Trump. Last night, Pelosi won the showdown between her and POTUS over the timing of his State of the Union speech. Now, Pelosi has taken on another mission.
This last House bill’s purpose was to fund the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) until February 28th. It passed 231-180. In something of the new normal, five members of the GOP voted with the Democrats. Pelosi only lost one vote: Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY).
Senior Congressional Correspondent for CNN Manu Raju tweeted:
‘For the 11th time this year, House passed a bill to open up federal agencies. Today, the House passed a bill to reopen the Department of Homeland Security until February 28. It passed 231-180 but far short of a veto-proof majority’
As usual, there is little expectation that this bill will pass the Senate.
House Homeland Security Appropriations Subcommittee Chair Lucille Roybal-Allard (D-CA) introduced the bill. Along the lines of the previous 10 bills that came up through the House, this one was a clean bill with no funding for Trump’s medieval wall along the U.S.’s southern border with Mexico.
Pelosi has said that she will not negotiate with the president until he opens the government which is in its 34th days of shutdown. If she did, Trump would use shutting down the government as a deadly sharp tool any time he wants something else. Federal employees have missed two paychecks, and many are facing dire consequences.
Not only that, Americans’ safety is under threat. Air traffic controllers have called in sick or quit, and those who remain are too stressed to guarantee public safety. The airports have released information to warn passengers.
There has been no one to inspect our food and protect people from salmonella. No mechanics provide daily maintenance on the planes. The FBI cannot continue pursuing cases of sexual crimes against children, human trafficking, and drug enterprises.
The president has said he will not sign any bill that does not give him $5.7 million for his wall. Senator McConnell could bring Pelosi’s bill to the floor for a passing vote, then send it to Trump. If POTUS refused to sign it, the Senate could garner enough votes to override that veto and open the government. McConnell could, but he will not.
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