GOP moves to prevent shutdown with stopgap spending bill

Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) said Wednesday he will move a stopgap measure funding the government until early February. 

The measure if passed by Congress and signed into law by President Trump would prevent a partial shutdown set to begin Saturday and would fund government departments and agencies through Feb. 8.

{mosads}It will keep funding for border fencing flat and punt a showdown on that issue until next year — when Trump will have less leverage with Democrats in control of the House.

McConnell said the stopgap is necessary because “our Democratic colleagues rejected an extremely reasonable offer,” which Trump and the GOP leader offered this week: a spending package that included $1.6 billion for border fencing and $1 billion for other immigration-related matters. 

Senate Democratic Leader Charles Schumer (N.Y.) later rejected what he said would be a “slush fund” for Trump to carry out his “radical” immigration agenda. 

“I’m sorry that my Democratic colleagues couldn’t put the partisanship aside and show the same good-faith flexibility that the president has shown in order to provide the resources of our nation needs to secure the integrity of our borders as well as the safety of American families,” McConnell said on Wednesday. 

McConnell said he will continue to negotiate with Schumer and House Democratic Leader Nancy Pelosi (Calif.) but plans to move the stopgap measure as a fallback. 

“The Senate will continue our work on the remaining bills, the result of bipartisan work and collaboration, and in the meantime we will turn to a clean continuing resolution later today so we can make sure we don’t end this year the way we began it, with another government shutdown because of Democrats’ allergy to sensible policies,” he said.