The Subsequent Authorities Shutdown Is Going To Be About Immigration

Dueling pronouncements by the leaders of the Home and Senate Wednesday confirmed how Congress might be sleepwalking right into a partial authorities shutdown later this month.

At a much-hyped look on the Texas border with Mexico, Home Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) mentioned Home Republicans needed their complete immigration restriction invoice handed, at the same time as, again in Washington, Sen. Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.), the Senate majority chief, mentioned that wasn’t going to occur.

Because the leaders’ first public remarks within the new yr, they highlighted one other rising spherical of political hen after Congress prevented doable shutdowns in October and November. In October, Democrats have been keen to jettison wanted army help for Ukraine for a brief funding invoice, whereas in November, Home Republicans coming off a bruising intraparty struggle over who ought to be speaker, let Democrats carry a invoice to fund the federal government.

“We need to get the border closed and secured first, and we need to ensure that we scale back non-defense discretionary spending,” Johnson informed reporters at a press convention in Texas.

Whereas Johnson mentioned there had been negotiations nearly day-after-day by means of vacation break, he additionally mentioned in response to a separate query that Home Republicans weren’t concerned with seeing solely parts of their immigration invoice, H.R. 2, handed.

“H.R. 2 is the mandatory ingredient. Why? As a result of it has provisions that repair every of those issues and these provisions work collectively,” he mentioned.

In Washington, the place a small group of senators and White Home officers proceed to attempt to negotiate a supplemental spending invoice that would come with border provisions in addition to help to Ukraine, Israel and the Indo-Pacific area, Schumer warned Home Republicans towards overreach.

If the Home “clings” to H.R. 2, Schumer informed reporters, “We’re not going to get a deal” on the supplemental spending invoice.

He additionally made it clear his technique is to get an settlement with Senate Republicans he hopes the Home GOP will settle for. “We need to get the Senate to return to an settlement first,” he mentioned.

Whereas the supplemental invoice with worldwide army help is a separate negotiation than the annual spending payments that should be handed by Jan. 19, a delay in attending to settlement on the primary might result in the talks getting mixed as the federal government edges nearer to a shutdown.

There’s an urge for food amongst Home Republicans to close down the federal government as not less than an indication of seriousness about stopping unlawful immigration. Rep. Warren Davidson (R-Ohio), a member of the rightwing Home Freedom Caucus, posted on social media, “Congress should refuse to fund this corrupt administration except the border is restored. #HR2.”

The companies funded solely by means of Jan. 19 embrace the Departments of Veterans Affairs, Vitality, Transportation, Treasury, in addition to Housing and City Improvement.

In wrapping up his reply about whether or not Home Republicans have been keen to vote to close down the federal government if there have been no border adjustments, Johnson reiterated they need a safe border and to chop spending exterior of the Pentagon.

“Too early to prejudge any of that, however I’ll inform you we’re resolved on these priorities,” he mentioned.