Democrats block Trump's plan to end shutdown, fund border wall

Senate Democrats on Thursday blocked President Trump’s proposal to end the government shutdown by trading border wall funding for Dreamer protections. The bill needed 60 votes to advance, but mid-way through the vote, there were already more than 40 "no" votes, putting 60 out of reach. The only Democrat who was voting for it was Joe Manchin of West Virginia. The measure would have funded until the end of the fiscal year all of departments and agencies that have been partially closed since Dec. 22, and would have provided $5.7 billion for a wall along the southwest border. In a bid to pick up Democratic votes, it also included a provision extending for three years all legal protections for Dreamers and others here under the Temporary Protected Status program. Democrats rejected the measure in part because they are seeking permanent legal status and a pathway to citizenship for Dreamers, but also because they oppose Trump's border wall proposal. Senators on Thursday were poised to reject a Democratic bill that would re-open the closed government until Feb 8., without any border wall funding, even though some GOP senators were expected to vote for it. “The last thing we need is another temporary measure,” said Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky. “We don’t need to punt from the one year line and set up another crisis just like this a couple of weeks from now.”...MORE