House Dems plan to bring up five-week funding bill to end shutdown

House Democrats plan to bring up legislation to end the partial government shutdown that would extend current spending levels for border security through Feb. 8, a senior Democratic aide said Monday.

The funding package will include two separate bills: one extending current funding levels for the Department of Homeland Security until Feb. 8, and the other including the six remaining bills with full funding through the end of the fiscal year.

{mosads}Border security funding would remain at $1.3 billion, much lower than the $5 billion called for by the White House, under the continuing resolution (CR), following bipartisan Senate legislation, The Washington Post first reported on Monday. 

“It makes sure we can get everybody paid on time,” the aide said. 

Separating the bills will put pressure on President Trump and Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) to at least pass the six-bill package and would reopen most of the government. 

It also extends the wall fight for a month, which could allow Trump a face-saving off-ramp to tell his base that he has not abandoned the struggle for the project. 

Republicans on Monday quickly rejected the Democrats’ plan with House Freedom Caucus Chairman Mark Meadows (N.C.) calling it a “non-starter” likely to extend the partial government shutdown.

Nancy Pelosi’s newest funding proposal doesn’t represent any serious attempt to secure our border or find a compromise. A $1.3 billion Democrat wish list that includes zero money for a border barrier is a non-starter and will not be a legitimate answer to this impasse.

— Mark Meadows (@RepMarkMeadows) December 31, 2018

“Speaker- elect Pelosi’s funding proposal fails to address the fundamental question of how we plan to make our communities safer and our borders more secure.” Meadows told The Hill. “Her latest announcement ignores all of the arguments that have been made by this administration and the American people. If the is the best effort at compromise that she can muster then the partial shutdown will continue weeks not days.”

Democrats are slated to take back control of the lower chamber later this week, with House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) expected to regain the Speaker’s gavel on Thursday.

On day 10 of the partial government shutdown, talks between Trump and Democratic leaders remain stalled.

Top Democrats have said they won’t go beyond $1.3 billion in border funding, while the president said he’s unwilling to support legislation that doesn’t provide ample funding for his wall along the southern border.

The White House has floated $2.1 billion as a compromise, but Senate Democrats were not open to the offer, maintaining they would not go beyond $1.3 billion. 

The president has been adamant he will not support legislation that does not provide ample border security funding, a priority he stressed on the campaign trail. 

The House passed an amended bill providing $5.7 billion in border security funding just ahead of their Christmas recess, but it does not have the support to make it through the Senate.

House Republicans have opted not to bring up the Senate-passed clean CR, with conservatives pushing for the party to remain strong on its demand to build the border wall.

— Niv Elis contributed. Updated at 1:30 p.m.