Nancy Pelosi’s House FAILS To Re-Open Government
Patrick Howley
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Democrats failed to get the two-thirds vote needed to re-open the federal government through February 1 without funding President Donald Trump’s border wall on one of their attempts Tuesday.
House members favored the measure — which was under suspension — by a 237-187 vote, but that was not enough votes to pass.
The House is trying to get their mission accomplished through a different continuing resolution Tuesday.
Democrats’ failure to even get the H.J. Res 27 bill to the Senate further underscores how President Trump has all the leverage in these negotiations.
The House REJECTED H.J.Res. 27 – Further Additional Continuing Appropriations Act for 2019 by a vote of 237-187 (needed two-thirds vote).
— House Press Gallery (@HouseDailyPress) January 15, 2019
President Donald Trump could save enough money to pay for his entire southern border wall with change to spare if he chooses not to sign a bill guaranteeing back pay for furloughed government workers. It would only take three pay periods over six weeks for the government to save more than $6 billion, more than the $5.7 billion Trump is asking for to build the Wall.
The mainstream media is reporting that Trump is prepared to sign the back-pay bill that went to his desk days ago, but Trump has not signed anything, and to do so would knock out some of his leverage over Schumer and Pelosi — which does not seem like it would be in line with “Art of the Deal” policy.
The shutdown — in which 800,000 workers are not working– is saving taxpayers more than two billion dollars for every two-week pay period, but the savings will only count if Trump chooses not to give them back pay.
Here is a chart on the savings, courtesy of the Center for American Progress:
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