The three-day-old US Government shutdown was poised to end on Monday with Senate Democrats finally voting with Republicans in support of a crucial spending bill in return for a Republican promise to act on an immigration legislation to protect 8,00,000 young illegal immigrants from deportation.
The Senate voted 81-18 to end the shutdown. The bill will go back to the House for a new vote because of the Senate’s revision of the original duration of funding from four weeks to three weeks.
“In a few hours, the government will reopen,” said Senate Democratic Leader Charles Schumer on the Senate floor, adding, “We will vote today to reopen the Govern-ment, to continue negotiating a global agreement with the commitment that if an agreement isn’t reached by Feb 8, the Senate will immediately proceed to consideration of legislation dealing with DACA.”
The decks were cleared for the Senate vote as soon as Republicans and Democrats achieved a broad agreement, thanks to the compromise package brokered by a bipartisan group of lawmakers.
In the wake of the compromise, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell promised action on the immigration issue, including DACA (Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals) to protest the “Dreamers”, border security and related issues.
Once the Senate completes the voting, the bill will go back to the House for a new vote because of the Senate’s revision of the original duration of funding from four weeks to three weeks.
“So long as the Government remains open, it would be my intention to take up legislation here in the Senate that would address DACA, border security and related issues as well as disaster relief, defense funding, health care and other important matters,” Republican leader McConnell stated on the Senate floor ahead of the vote.
President Donald Trump himself kept taunting the Democrats, tweeting on Monday morning, “Democrats have shut down our government in the interests of their far left base. They don’t want to do it but are powerless! …
The Democrats are turning down services and security for citizens in favour of services and security for non-citizens. Not good!”
Democrats have been insisting that protection from deportation for “Dreamers” should form part of the spending bill, while Republican Senators and the White House have taken the stand that the spending Bill should be passed as it stands. “We want a deal on DACA. We want a deal on border security,” White House Press Secretary Sarah Sanders said on Monday morning TV shows.