A group of moderate Senate Republicans is moving to push to reopen the government without the wall after Trump’s immigration address disaster.
The GOP moderates are ready to bail:
There is some rumbling among some moderate Republicans about pushing to re-open the government, regardless of where they are with the wall.
Sens. Cory Gardner (R-CO), Lisa Murkowski (R-AK) and Susan Collins (R-ME) are leaning in that direction.— Chad Pergram (@ChadPergram) January 9, 2019
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Meanwhile, in presidential fantasy land, Trump has no clue what is going on:
Upon arriving at the Capitol to meet with Senate GOPers about the wall, Trump says that Democrats are losing a lot of support over the shutdown
— Chad Pergram (@ChadPergram) January 9, 2019
Here is where we stand.
Trump’s immigration address was a total disaster. The president has admitted that he never wanted to give the speech and blamed Sarah Sanders for the whole thing. Democrats hold all of the cards. The pressure is growing on Senate Republicans because 800,000 government workers aren’t going to be paid on Friday.
Mitch McConnell is the only person standing in the way of a bill that would reopen the government passing the Senate and being sent to Trump’s desk without the wall.
If enough Republican Senators bail, expect them to join Democrats in trying to force a vote on a wall free bill to reopen the government. McConnell may have no choice soon, but to cave to the demands of the Senate. Trump is on Capitol Hill trying to keep Senate Republicans in line.
The whole fiasco is coming to a head. Republicans are ready to bolt, and if they leave, the shutdown will belong to Trump and Trump alone.
Since Trump’s immigration address, things have gone from bad to worse for the GOP.
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Jason is the managing editor. He is also a White House Press Pool and a Congressional correspondent for PoliticusUSA. Jason has a Bachelor’s Degree in Political Science. His graduate work focused on public policy, with a specialization in social reform movements.
Awards and Professional Memberships
Member of the Society of Professional Journalists and The American Political Science Association
