Trump Asks Senate to Change Rules:

800,000 Workers Stay Home Amid U.S. Shutdown

Date: 21 January 2018 - 21:42

News ID: ۴۹۱۵۷

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. President Donald Trump said on Sunday that if the government shutdown stalemate continued, Republicans should fund the government by changing Senate rules, which currently require a super-majority for appropriations bills to pass.
"The Dems (Democrats) just want illegal immigrants to pour into our nation unchecked. If stalemate continues, Republicans should go to 51% (Nuclear Option) and vote on real, long term budget,” Trump said on Twitter.
Trump’s proposal was almost immediately rejected by Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell.
Senate Republicans oppose changing the chamber’s rules so that legislation to fund the government and end the current shutdown could pass with a simple majority, the spokesman said.
"The Republican Conference opposes changing the rules on legislation,” the spokesman said in an email.
Current Senate rules require a super-majority of three-fifths of the chamber, usually 60 out of 100, for legislation to clear procedural hurdles and pass.
Funding for federal agencies ran out Saturday with Trump and Republican lawmakers locked in a standoff with Democrats. There appeared to be no clear path for a quick end to the crisis.
Democrats say short-term spending legislation must include protections for illegal immigrants brought to the United States as children, known as "Dreamers.” Republicans, who have a slim 51-49 Senate majority, said they would not negotiate on immigration until the government was reopened.
With elections set in November for a third of U.S. Senate seats and the entire House of Representatives, both sides are maneuvering for the shutdown.
This is the first shutdown in U.S. history with one party in control of the House, Senate, and the presidency.
Democrats and Republicans are still deliberating over reaching a deal to end the shutdown. It's unclear how close the two sides are to a compromise, but little progress seems to have been made.
Trump’s first anniversary in office has been marked by the turbulence and division that have defined his presidency, with the government shutdown and protests in cities across the country.
Up to 800,000 federal workers were told to stay home after the White House and Congress failed to strike a compromise on the government spending bill. Workers deemed essential and armed forces personnel were asked to stay at work. If the shutdown continues, they will likely go unpaid.
Armed services personnel abroad got their first taste of the cuts when they were told they would not be able to watch Sunday’s NFL playoff games, because the armed forces broadcasting network had shut down.
With crisis talks under way, Trump cancelled a trip to his Florida retreat at Mar-a-Lago, where he had hoped to celebrate his year in office at a gala dinner.
Instead, as protesters marked their own anniversary of major anti-Trump demonstrations outside the White House and in other major cities, the president stayed in Washington, firing off angry tweets.
At a press conference, House minority leader Nancy Pelosi alluded to a tweet Trump wrote in May 2017, saying a shutdown would be good for the country.
"Happy anniversary Mr. President, your wish came true,” Pelosi said. "You won the shutdown. The shutdown is all yours.”
Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA), Obama-era legislation that allowed approximately 700,000 Dreamers to stay in the country, is set to expire on 5 March after being rescinded by Trump. Democrats have refused to support any spending bill that does not restore such protection.
In a CNN poll, 31% blamed Democrats for the shutdown, 26% blamed Republicans and 21% held Trump responsible. Although there is broad support for protecting Dreamers, a majority thought it was more important to avoid a shutdown.
Trump’s presidential campaign released a new ad – which claimed Democrats were "complicit in all murders by illegal immigrants”.