McConnell, Schumer lay down goals for budget talks

The Senate's top two members laid down goal posts for budget talks on Wednesday, ahead of a meeting with the White House to try to hammer out a budget deal and tackle other outstanding legislation. 

 

Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnellAddison (Mitch) Mitchell McConnellGOP strategist donates to Alabama Democrat McConnell names Senate GOP tax conferees Brent Budowsky: A plea to Alabama voters MORE (R-Ky.) and Minority Leader Charles SchumerCharles (Chuck) Ellis SchumerAmerica isn't ready to let Sessions off his leash Schumer celebrates New York Giants firing head coach: ‘About time’ GOP should reject the left's pessimism and the deficit trigger MORE (D-N.Y.) took to the Senate floor on Wednesday to detail their priorities for any agreement, while urging the other party to compromise. 

 

"The Senate will need to tackle a number of important issues this year. It's my sincere hope that we can do so in a renewed spirit of comity, collegiality and bipartisanship. I note that colleagues on both sides of the aisle share the hope and it's urgent that we make it a reality," McConnell said. 

 

McConnell pointed to the Jan. 19 deadline to prevent a government shutdown. Congress must also reach a deal on the budget to prevent automatic across-the-board spending cuts under the Budget Control Act. 

 

McConnell, Schumer, House Speaker Paul RyanPaul Davis RyanMcConnell names Senate GOP tax conferees House Republican: 'I worry about both sides' of the aisle on DACA Overnight Health Care: 3.6M signed up for ObamaCare in first month | Ryan pledges 'entitlement reform' next year | Dems push for more money to fight opioids MORE (R-Wis.) and House Minority Leader Nancy PelosiNancy Patricia D'Alesandro PelosiMcConnell names Senate GOP tax conferees Abortion-rights group endorses Nadler in race to replace Conyers on Judiciary Trump rips Dems a day ahead of key White House meeting MORE (D-Calif.) are scheduled to meet with Mick MulvaneyJohn (Mick) Michael MulvaneyConsumers need a hero, not a hack, to head the CFPB Overnight Regulation: Feds push to clarify regs on bump stocks | Interior wants Trump to shrink two more monuments | Navajo Nation sues over monument rollback | FCC won't delay net neutrality vote | Senate panel approves bill easing Dodd-Frank rules Overnight Cybersecurity: Mueller probe cost .7M in early months | Senate confirms Homeland Security nominee | Consumer agency limits data collection | Arrest in Andromeda botnet investigation MORE, Trump's budget chief, and Marc Short, the White House director of legislative affairs, at the Capitol on Wednesday afternoon. 

 

The White House and top lawmakers have been negotiating for weeks but failed to lock down an agreement. 

 

Democrats' push for parity between increases on defense and nondefense spending had emerged as one sticking point. McConnell urged them on Wednesday to "set aside" the demand.  

 

"There is no reason why funding for our national security and our service members should be limited by an arbitrary political formula that bears no relationship to actual need," he said. 

 

Republicans argue that years of declining budgets have hollowed out the U.S. military and left it unable to keep up with a myriad of international threats. 

 

Democrats are also expected to bring up the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program, which the Trump administration announced last year it would end. 

 

Democratic leadership took fire from progressives and immigration activists after they left Washington last month without an agreement that linked DACA to border security. 

 

Schumer, saying 2017 was "not a year to be proud of," urged Republicans and President TrumpDonald John TrumpHouse Democrat slams Donald Trump Jr. for ‘serious case of amnesia’ after testimony Skier Lindsey Vonn: I don’t want to represent Trump at Olympics Poll: 4 in 10 Republicans think senior Trump advisers had improper dealings with Russia MORE to "engage in good faith" on DACA, as well as other issues including the Children's Health Insurance Program and disaster aid. 

 

"In contrast to a year of chaos and ineffectiveness, a year in which little was accomplished, and what was done was done for the wealthy and narrow special interests, I hope this year can be one of bipartisanship," Schumer said. 

 

He added that he believes a deal could be reached on DACA if Republicans set aside "unreasonable demands like an absurdly expensive, ineffective border wall that publicly many Republicans oppose, and privately many more do."