Politico – by BURGESS EVERETT, JAKE SHERMAN and MANU RAJU
The first government shutdown in 17 years is heading for the history books after the Senate voted 81-18 to support legislation that reopens Washington and averts a debt default.
The bill now goes to the House, where lawmakers are expected to vote later Wednesday evening.
The bill is expected to clear the House and has the support of Speaker John Boehner. But the level of support from the rest of the Republican conference remains an open question. House Republicans have clung to the so-called Hastert Rule, a mantra that the House speaker should not try to pass a bill that doesn’t have the support of the “majority of the majority.” In this case, that would mean 117 Republicans must support the bill to avoid getting crosswise with the rule. Top GOP sources say it’s unlikely they will reach that level of support.
Maryland Rep. Steny Hoyer, the chief Democratic vote counter in the House, said he’s whipping the deal. Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) said it’s “possible” that entire 200-member Democratic caucus will back the Senate bill.
Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid and Minority Leader Mitch McConnell have worked overtime the past three days to hammer out a bipartisan agreement after a House bill collapsed on Tuesday. After McConnell briefed his caucus on the deal on Wednesday morning, the two leaders made it official: They have an agreement to fund the government until Jan. 15 and raise the debt ceiling through Feb. 7, which will end a 16-day government shutdown and avert an economic crisis that would be caused by the U.S. running out of cash to pay its bills.
The bill does not include language requiring a bicameral budget conference as had been expected, because that language would have raised a budget point of order on the Senate floor which could have killed the bill. Instead there is a separate agreement between House and Senate leaders to appoint negotiators to go to conference on the budget. The Senate agreed to go to conference Wednesday evening after Republicans objected to 21 previous requests from Budget Chairman Patty Murray (D-Wash.).
The conference committee must conclude its work by Dec. 13.
“This compromise we reached will provide our economy with the stability it desperately needs. It’s never easy for two sides to reach consensus. It’s really hard, sometimes harder than others. This time was really hard,” Reid said. “The country came to the brink of a disaster. But in the end, political adversaries set aside their differences and disagreement to prevent that disaster.”
“For today, the relief we hope for is to reopen the government, avoid default and protect the historic cuts we achieved under the Budget Control Act,” McConnell said.
McConnell’s caucus showed remarkable unity after he briefed them on the contours of the deal, and conservatives said they will not block swift passage of the legislation in the Senate. Asked if he’d oppose a quick vote, Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) answered: “Of course not.”
“Delaying this vote would not accomplish anything,” Cruz said. “The focus is and should be on the substance of providing real relief for the American people. This deal doesn’t do that and that’s why I intend to vote no, but there is nothing to be benefited by delaying this vote a couple of days, versus having it today.”
The White House welcomed the deal.
“The president applauds Leader Reid and Minority Leader McConnell for working together to forge this compromise and encourages the Congress to act swiftly to end this shutdown and protect the full faith and credit of the United States of America,” press secretary Jay Carney said at the start of his daily briefing.
Some Republicans were also relieved to see the saga come to a close.
“It’s obvious that we are now seeing the end of this agonizing odyssey that this body has been put through, but far more importantly, the American people have been put through. It’s one of the more shameful chapters that I have seen in the years that I have spent here in the Senate,” said Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.).
The fact that House Republicans are now planning to take take up the Senate bill marks a stunning reversal for the speaker who had backed his conservative wing’s drive to gut Obamacare as part of the government shutdown fight, now in its third week.
The bill will barely scathe Obamacare and putting it on the floor will mark a huge concession by the House after sparking a prolonged government shutdown over insistence that the health care law be defunded or delayed as a condition to keep the government open. Dozens of conservatives in the House will be disappointed by the proposal.
The Senate plan includes a proposal offered by McConnell in the 2011 debt ceiling crisis that allows Congress to disapprove of the debt ceiling increase, which means lawmakers will formally vote on whether to reject a debt ceiling increase until Feb. 7. Obama can veto that legislation if it passes. If Congress fails as expected to gather a two-thirds majority to override the veto, the debt ceiling would be raised.
The deal would also deliver back pay to furloughed federal workers, require income verification for people seeking health-insurance subsidies under the Affordable Care Act and also allow the Treasury Department to use extraordinary measures to pay the nation’s bills if Congress doesn’t raise the debt ceiling by Feb. 7.
McConnell was pushing hard to include language to give federal agencies more flexibility to implement the sequester, something Reid was objecting to Wednesday morning, sources say. Democrats argue that provision would make it harder to eliminate the sequester in the future and it was not included in the final package. A new round of sequester cuts will be enacted in January without further congressional action, mostly hitting the defense side of spending.
Jennifer Epstein, Seung Min Kim and Ginger Gibson contributed to this report.
I am sick to death of these drama filled horse and pony shows they put on every time they feel the need to further deceive the American people. These last minute miracles are nothing more than lies compounded by the mountain of lies that precede them. The President, Vice President, the Senate, the House, the whole lot of them make the Joker look sane and sensible.
Yep, I completely agree with ya there, Sunfire. These puppet shows need to end. The Muppet Show ended years ago and these muppets in our government should too. I know I shouldn’t insult the Muppets, but you get the idea.
by Allen West via Facebook:
“I’m watching the spectacle occurring on the Senate floor. They have passed the 60 vote threshold for ending cloture. I want the American people to understand that tonight the Constitutional Republic we know as America has suffered a horrible defeat. Obamacare is not the law of the land. It is an edict handed down by a tyrant, not a President. The US Senate has just voted to affirm a new precedent that the executive branch can amend law without Congressional approval, and Congress allows it. The waivers, exemptions, and delays implemented by President Obama have delineated a separation, not of powers, but between the political elite and their cronies – and you, my fellow Americans. This is reprehensible, and we can expect even more bad behavior from a President that continues to spit on our Constitution and in our eyes…and smile. The incessant government spending continues with no solution for economic growth. Anyone voting for this tonight owes some explaining to Americans….but maybe not. As Obama stated, “I won.”
West speaks the truth. Up to a point. He still thinks this can be solved in the ballot box.
Better oil up the hard steel Rhums, there ain’t no ballot box gonna solve this.
bottom line…pay now or pay later. or….kick em out, and make THEM pay.