Willie R. Tubbs, FISM News
Multiple news sites are reporting that House Democrats and Republicans have etched a plan in principal that would prevent a Friday partial government shutdown, but stumbling blocks remain.
According to NBC and CNN reports, the Democrats’ plan would fund the government until mid-February, but even with speedy House passage, the bill would face the now-well-known 50-50 deadlock in the Senate, where Republicans have long pledged to resist all of the Democrats’ funding efforts.
In addition to a general desire to not assist Democrats – Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) has frequently said Republican recalcitrance is because Democrats want to enact sweeping, progressive legislation without input from Republicans – a new wrinkle has emerged.
As reported by Politico, a growing number of Republicans want McConnell to use the latest threat of a shutdown and a looming credit default as a means of defunding President Joe Biden’s vaccine mandates.
For the last several months, though, McConnell’s primary focus has been on preventing the passage of Democrats’ Build Back Better spending plans.
“Our economy is already sputtering on their watch, but Democrats want to wallop the country with massive tax hikes that would kill American jobs and discourage industry from locating in the U.S.A.,” McConnell said on the Senate floor Wednesday. “Everybody with a lick of common sense knows the massive, reckless taxing and spending spree that Democrats are writing behind closed doors is crazy.”
The bill, authored by House Appropriations Committee Chair Rosa DeLauro (D-Conn.), would give the legislative branch a little more than two months to reach an agreement.
“While I wish the February 18 end date were earlier, this agreement allows the appropriations process to move forward toward a final funding agreement which addresses the needs of the American people,” DeLauro said in a statement. “Instead of short-term funding patches like this, working families, small businesses, veterans, and our military need the certainty that comes with passing an omnibus.”
Thus far, no Republican senator has offered anything resembling an endorsement, and Wednesday the House Freedom Caucus, which is comprised of conservatives, wrote a letter to McConnell urging him to use legal stall tactics to run out the clock on the funding resolution.
The caucus hopes Republican Senators can force Democrats to relent on vaccine mandates or, in the event of a shutdown, remove the funding structure for vaccines.
“Our courts have spoken – the vaccine mandates are clearly unconstitutional,” Rep. Andrew Clyde (R-Ga.), a caucus member, said on Facebook. “That’s why I proudly joined my House Freedom Caucus colleagues in sending a letter to Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell urging him and Senate Republicans to stand strong against the continuing resolution unless it blocks funding for the vaccine mandates. Anything less is unacceptable and unAmerican.”
While not addressing vaccines directly, Democrats have begun making calls of bipartisan and bicameral negotiations.
“With a new deadline of February 18, we need Republicans to offer constructive proposals to address the critical issues facing the country by funding the federal government’s important work for the American people,” DeLauro said. “There can be no more delay.”