US shutdown: Trump brags “big win” and says: “Democrats caved”

Democratic leader Chuck Schumer: “The great deal-making president sat on the sidelines.”

 Trump said the Democrats “caved” as he signed a bill to end the three-day shutdown. After accepting promises from Republicans for a debate later on the future of young illegal immigrant the Democrats agreed to back the bill. Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer said: “The great deal-making president sat on the sidelines.”

“It was essentially a long lunch break,” Tom Chapel, a scientist at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in Atlanta, Georgia, told Reuters news agency.

Thousands of federal employees who had been placed on temporary, unpaid leave since Saturday prepared to return to work. A spending bill that ended the shutdown passed the Senate by a majority of 81-18 and the House of Representatives by 266-150 on Monday January 22.

Stocks rose as news of the agreement spread, however the arrangement is not a long-term solution. It is the fourth temporary measure since October because United States Congress cannot agree a longer-term budget.

The continuing resolution keeps the government funded until 8 February in the hope that Congress can reach a longer-term budget agreement in the meantime.

Speaker Paul Ryan said. “I know there’s great relief that this episode is coming to an end… but this is not a moment to pat ourselves on the back. Not even close.”

 Where do Republicans stand?

Republican Senate leader Mitch McConnell said his party had “come to an arrangement” to negotiate on the Democrats’ calls for an immigration deal.

Democrats want protections from deportation for the “Dreamers”, more than 700,000 young immigrants brought to the US as children. Republicans insisted no agreement was possible while federal government services were closed. Trump, a Republican, said in a statement: “We will make a long-term deal on immigration if, and only if, it is good for our country.” Then, as usual, he proceeded to tweet that Democrats had “caved”, adding that “he looked forward to future negotiations”.

Did Democrats ‘cave’?

Monday January 22nd, on Twitter, “#DemocratsCaved” was a trending topic. Some Democrats uttered incredulity of Mr. McConnell’s promise and liberal groups are infuriated by the agreement to reopen the government. Possible Democratic 2020 presidential candidates in the Senate — Elizabeth Warren, Kirsten Gillibrand, Cory Booker, Bernie Sanders and Kamala Harris—  all voted against the bill.

Senator Harris, of California, said it would be “foolhardy” to trust McConnell’s promise to take up an immigration bill in the coming weeks.

Another California senator, Dianne Feinstein, told the political news outlet “The Hill” she was very disappointed since there is no guarantee Republicans would help Dreamers and Democratic congressman Luis Gutierrez slammed his own party’s senators after the vote saying: “They caved. They blinked. That’s what they do.”

Stephanie Taylor, of the Progressive Change Campaign Committee, said: “Today’s cave by Senate Democrats – led by weak-kneed, right-of-centre Democrats – is why people don’t believe the Democratic Party stands for anything.”

 The Yucatan Times 
Newsroom
With information from Reuters / BBC / CNN

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