GOP leaders struggle with shutdown strategy
Paul Ryan and Mitch McConnell’s initial plan was rejected by members of their own party.
By RACHAEL BADE, SEUNG MIN KIM and KYLE CHENEY 11/30/2017 01:05 PM EST
Congressional Republicans are scrambling to come up with a plan to avert a government shutdown, squeezed by their own divided conference and the demands of Democrats they worry have the upper hand in negotiations.
Just 24 hours ago, Speaker Paul Ryan (R-Wis.) and Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) were considering a hard-line strategy of jamming Democrats and daring them to vote no on a short-term government funding bill. While Democrats have demanded a solution for Dreamers be included in any spending deal, Republican leaders’ initial plan would have continued current spending into January without an immigration fix. But their own members upended that strategy almost immediately: House Armed Services Committee Chairman Mac Thornberry (R-Texas) put his foot down, telling GOP leaders that defense hawks would not start 2018 without a budget boost for the Pentagon.
That sent leadership back to the drawing board. Now, the latest strategy includes passing two short-term funding bills or “continuing resolutions” to keep the government running at current levels until a bigger spending deal is reached. House GOP whips told vote-counters in a closed-door meeting Thursday morning that the first would extend government funding from Dec. 8 to Dec. 22; the second would likely last until sometime in January.
“Nearly everyday we are reminded of the consequences of underfunding our men and women in uniform,” said Claude Chafin, House Armed Services Committee communications director. “Chairman Thornberry remains committed to the NDAA funding level — which overwhelming bi-partisan majorities in both chambers voted to support — as the minimum amount needed to begin rebuilding readiness.”
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https://www.politico.com/story/2017/11/30/republican-government-shutdown-strategy-271367
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