Archive

Democrats Cave, Vote to Reopen Gov’t With a Promise From Mitch McConnell

OPEN FOR BIZ

Chuck Schumer announced that a deal was made.

RTX4G4H1_k7rf4a
Joshua Roberts/Reuters

Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) announced Monday on the Senate floor that his party will provide enough votes to pass a Republican plan to reopen the federal government until at least Feb. 8. The bipartisan deal was contingent upon a promise from Majority Leader Mitch McConnell that he will open debate on an immigration bill protecting so-called DREAMers from deportation. In the end, 33 Democrats flipped to vote for the temporary spending bill, including Sens. Schumer, Dick Durbin, Sherrod Brown, and Tammy Baldwin. Among the holdouts were senators who’ve been floated as potential 2020 Democratic candidates, including Sens. Kirsten Gillibrand, Elizabeth Warren, Bernie Sanders, and Kamala Harris.