Sen. Rand Paul
Randal (Rand) Howard PaulPentagon: War in Afghanistan will cost billion in 2018 Overnight Finance: Senators near two-year budget deal | Trump would 'love to see a shutdown' over immigration | Dow closes nearly 600 points higher after volatile day | Trade deficit at highest level since 2008 | Pawlenty leaving Wall Street group Rand Paul calls for punishment if Congress can't reach a long-term budget deal MORE (R-Ky.) is blocking the Senate from speeding up a budget agreement as Congress lurches closer to a lapse in funding for the federal government.
Both the Senate and House need to pass the two-year budget deal, which includes a stopgap funding bill, by midnight Thursday to prevent the second shutdown in less than a month. But it appears increasingly unlikely they will meet that deadline.
The White House Office of Management and Budget (OMB) has directed federal agencies to prepare for a lapse in funding.
The budget package, already under fire in the House, was expected to sail relatively smoothly through the Senate, which is voting first. But Senate leadership ran into an unexpected roadblock Thursday night from Paul, a libertarian-leaning senator.
The Kentucky Republican is demanding a vote on an amendment to keep budget caps in place. If he doesn't get it, he's signaling he'll delay a procedural vote until after the midnight deadline and into early Friday morning.
"What you're seeing is recklessness trying to be passed off as bipartisanship. ...[Leadership is] holding hands, and there's only one bad guy standing in the way. One guy that's going to keep up here until three in the morning," Paul said during a more than hourlong floor speech.
Leadership tried to make a deal with Paul, offering to let him raise a "budget point of order" on the budget caps, rather than a formal amendment. Both would have given him a roll call vote.
But when Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell
Addison (Mitch) Mitchell McConnellDems confront Kelly after he calls some immigrants 'lazy' McConnell: 'Whoever gets to 60 wins' on immigration Overnight Defense: Latest on spending fight - House passes stopgap with defense money while Senate nears two-year budget deal | Pentagon planning military parade for Trump | Afghan war will cost B in 2018 MORE (R-Ky.) tried to set up a vote for 6 p.m., Paul objected.
"Well, it’s up to Rand. We’ll vote at 1 a.m. or sooner, whenever he decides for us to move ahead," McConnell told reporters as he left the Capitol when asked if the chamber would be in session all night.
Senate Minority Leader Charles Schumer
Charles (Chuck) Ellis SchumerGOP lawmaker: Dems not standing for Trump is 'un-American' Trump called for unity — he didn’t even last a week Overnight Defense: GOP plays hardball by attaching defense funding to CR | US reportedly drawing down in Iraq | Russia, US meet arms treaty deadline | Why the military wants 6B from Congress MORE (D-N.Y.) also pleaded with Paul to agree to let the vote be moved up, noting he could make the budget point of order and get a vote.
"Frankly, there are lots of amendments on my side, and it's hard to make an argument that if one gets an amendment, that everybody else won't want an amendment, and then we'll be here for a very long time," Schumer said.
With a shutdown looming, he added: "We're in risky territory here."
Paul separately blocked two requests by GOP Sen. Lindsey Graham
Lindsey Olin GrahamMcConnell: 'Whoever gets to 60 wins' on immigration Overnight Tech: Uber exec says 'no justification' for covering up hack | Apple considers battery rebates | Regulators talk bitcoin | SpaceX launches world's most powerful rocket Overnight Cybersecurity: Tillerson proposes new cyber bureau at State | Senate bill would clarify cross-border data rules | Uber exec says 'no justification' for covering up breach MORE (S.C.) to set up a vote at 8 p.m. on Thursday and two requests by GOP Sen. Thom Tillis
Thomas (Thom) Roland TillisSenate Republicans call on Trump to preserve NAFTA McConnell: Mueller needs 'no protection' from Trump Press: Congress must protect Mueller from Trump MORE (N.C.) to schedule a vote at 9 p.m.
Under Senate rules, the earliest the chamber can take its first vote on the agreement is 1 a.m. Friday, after the funding deadline, unless every senator agrees to move it up.
The House won't hold a vote on the measure until it is approved by the Senate. A whip update sent out Thursday evening by Rep. Steve Scalise
Stephen (Steve) Joseph ScaliseGOP to play hardball with Dems on funding bill GOP lawmakers help people injured in train crash Google searches for MS-13 spike after Trump’s State of the Union speech MORE's (R-La.) office said members should "prepare for late night or early morning votes."
"At this point, we expect next votes in the House to occur at very roughly 3:00-6:00 a.m. However, there is a chance this timing window can move up if the Senate moves quickly," Scalise's office said.
The bill could face a rocky path in the House as leadership tries to lock down the 218 votes needed to pass it.
The conservative House Freedom Caucus, a gang of roughly 30 conservative members, announced that its official position would be to oppose the funding deal.
Speaker Paul Ryan
Paul Davis RyanMcConnell: 'Whoever gets to 60 wins' on immigration Overnight Defense: Latest on spending fight - House passes stopgap with defense money while Senate nears two-year budget deal | Pentagon planning military parade for Trump | Afghan war will cost B in 2018 House passes stopgap spending measure with defense money MORE (R-Wis.) is expected to need help from House Democrats, who are seeking a commitment for an immigration vote as the shutdown deadline approaches.
After huddling in the Capitol basement Thursday evening, rank-and-file House Democrats appeared to be leaning heavily against supporting the budget deal, citing the absence of a commitment from Ryan to vote on legislation to protect the “Dreamers,” young immigrants brought to the country illegally as kids.
But Rep. G.K. Butterfield
George (G.K.) Kenneth ButterfieldBlack Dems take lead in push to impeach Trump Judiciary advances 17 judicial nominees Facebook appoints American Express CEO as first black board member MORE (D-N.C.) estimated that less than 40 Democrats would support the bill without that promise.
“They’re going to get to 175, 180, and they’re going to hit a ceiling,” Butterfield said. “And then Speaker Ryan is going to panic and then he’s got to make a decision whether to shut the vote down and let the government shut down, or make a very benign commitment — and that is to debate the DACA, the Dreamer bill.”
“If he were to call on our leaders in a few minutes and make it crystal clear that he is willing to entertain floor debate on DACA, then I think he’ll get the votes to pass it,” he added.
House Minority Whip Steny Hoyer
Steny Hamilton HoyerDems confront Kelly after he calls some immigrants 'lazy' McConnell: 'Whoever gets to 60 wins' on immigration Hoyer: DACA deal a long ways off MORE (D-Md.) is urging GOP leaders to cobble together a one-day spending bill to prevent the government from shutting down.
"With only hours to act and avoid another Trump shutdown, I urge Speaker Ryan and Leader McCarthy to bring to the Floor a one-day funding bill to keep the government open,” Hoyer said in a statement.
John CornynDems confront Kelly after he calls some immigrants 'lazy' McConnell: 'Whoever gets to 60 wins' on immigration GOP senators turning Trump immigration framework into legislation MORE (Texas), the No. 2 Senate Republican, downplayed the chances of a day-long stopgap measure.Paul has downplayed that he is trying to cause a temporary shutdown, but argued that his GOP colleagues are being hypocritical by pushing this bill after decrying deficit hikes under the Obama administration.
"Republicans howled to high heaven that President Obama was sending us into the gutter, spending us into oblivion and now Republicans are doing the same thing," he said.
The Kentucky senator has lambasted the two-year budget agreement, which would increase the budget caps by roughly $300 billion and also raise the debt ceiling through March 2019.
Paul argued that none of his colleagues have been able to fully read the nearly 700-page budget bill, which was filed shortly before midnight on Wednesday.
"I have been asking all day. I have been asking all week for it. We could have literally had dozens of votes today. But we squabble because people don't want to be put on the spot," he said about his push to get an amendment vote.
Graham fired back: "I've read it."
- This story was updated at 9:06 p.m.