President Trump’s First 100 Days didn’t have much to show in the way of concrete accomplishments, so he definitely did not need a government shutdown in the books (and was preemptively blaming Democrats). He spent last week contradicting himself on the Wall (whether or not it would be funded this year by Congress) and insisting that the fabled structure would still happen to keep the United States safe from drugs, illegal immigrants, and that rock ‘n’ roll rubbish. Anyhoodle, CNN now reports that U.S. lawmakers burned the weekend oil and reached a spending deal that will last through September. Aaaand funding for the Wall is not included.
The “massive” deal was agreed upon by bipartisan members of Congress on Sunday night. Both the House and Senate are expected to vote on the measure in the coming days, although sources tell CNN that it’s expected to pass because both sides want to avoid a shutdown. The spending deal reportedly — surprise, surprise — includes no funding cuts for Planned Parenthood and plenty of dollars for border security, but alas, no Wall:
The plan would add billions for the Pentagon and border security but would not provide any money for President Donald Trump’s promised border wall with Mexico.
The deal was reached after weeks of tense but steady negotiations between Republicans and Democrats on Capitol Hill and the White House, who battled over spending priorities but who were equally determined to avoid a politically fraught government shutdown. Republicans, who control Congress and the White House, were particularly wary of a shutdown on their watch.
Details related to healthcare remain scarce at this time, but the Planned Parenthood inclusion is not to be overlooked — the Democrats scored big on the issue, since both Mike Pence and Trump have been so excited to defund the organization. And New York Senator Chuck Schumer has already twisted another knife by expressing relief that this “bill ensures taxpayer dollars aren’t used to fund an ineffective border wall.”
Meanwhile, Trump has been busy avoiding D.C. this weekend because he felt like being surrounded by a rally full of fans rather than attend the White House Correspondents’ Dinner. He hasn’t yet claimed credit for this deal (or thrown a tantrum) on Twitter, but it could happen at 3am.
(Via CNN)