In an 81-18 vote on the Senate floor on Monday, a Continuing Resolution was passed to fund the federal government until Feb. 8. The legislation did not include amnesty for illegal aliens that some Democratic lawmakers said had to be a part of a spending bill to get their vote.
But it was a member of the House of Representatives that summed up the surprising result that was contrary to the continuous media reports about how Republicans might not be able to rally the 60 votes to pass the CR.
“They caved. They blinked. That’s what they do,” Rep. Luis Gutierrez (D-Ill) said in a tweet posted by a Bloomberg News reporter.
Two Republicans — Sens. Mike Lee (R-UT) and Rand Paul (Kentucky) — voted against it, joined by Bernie Sanders (I-VT)
Some of the Democrats who voted against the CR took to Twitter to express their outrage.
Sen. Jon Tester (D-MT) said after the vote, “the whole place was screwed up” in a tweet posted by a reporter.
Montanans don’t get anything out of this. We don’t give money — 100,000 people use community health centers. There’s no mention of that. There’s no commitment to do it. Nothing. We’ve got a border with Canada. There’s nothing about any of that on border security. There’s nothing about our military having the predictability it needs. It’s another CR with another CR that’s going to happen after that CR. There’s no commitment to do the budget. There are just no commitments except for DACA, and that’s not why I voted no on Friday. It was because that whole place was screwed up.
“I am deeply disappointed that today’s outcome fails to protect Dreamers,” Sen. Kristen Gillibrand (D-NY) tweeted. “They deserve better from the elected leaders of the only country many of them have ever called home.”
“I want to see the government re-open as much as anyone, but this bill fails to fix the moral issue we must solve,” Gillibrand tweeted. “That’s why I voted against it.”
I want to see the government re-open as much as anyone, but this bill fails to fix the moral issue we must solve. That's why I voted against it.
— Kirsten Gillibrand (@SenGillibrand) January 22, 2018
“The Majority Leader’s comments fell far short of the ironclad guarantee I needed to support a stopgap spending bill,” Sen. Kamala Harris (D-CA) said on Twitter. “I refuse to put the lives of nearly 700,000 young people in the hands of someone who has repeatedly gone back on his word.”
“I will keep working with my colleagues to find a long-term solution that supports members of our military, funds CHIP and community health centers, provides resources for those recovering from disasters & guarantees a future for young immigrants who are as American as all of us,” Harris said.
I will keep working with my colleagues to find a long-term solution that supports members of our military, funds CHIP and community health centers, provides resources for those recovering from disasters & guarantees a future for young immigrants who are as American as all of us.
— Kamala Harris (@SenKamalaHarris) January 22, 2018
Dianne Feinstein said she didn’t understand the Democrats’ stunning loss, a reporter tweeted.
Dianne Feinstein thinks Democrats get little from a deal that keeps #DACA out of a must-pass bill. “I trust that because the leadership did it this way they must know something I don’t,” she tells @aritbenie. “I’m just very disappointed.’’
I couldn’t vote for this CR because nothing in the bill gave me any confidence that in three weeks Congress won’t end up exactly where we are today. #TrumpShutdownpic.twitter.com/jOfmRu8fac
— Senator Bob Menendez (@SenatorMenendez) January 22, 2018
“I couldn’t vote for this CR because nothing in the bill gave me any confidence that in three weeks Congress won’t end up exactly where we are today,” Sen. Robert Menendez (D-NJ) said on Twitter.
It’s been over 100 days since protection for 800k Dreamers ended, since community health centers were funded, since hurricanes ravaged TX, FL & PR. The Republicans refused to fix any of these issues– and they still haven't fixed them. We don't need new promises. We need new laws.
— Elizabeth Warren (@SenWarren) January 22, 2018
“It’s been over 100 days since protection for 800k Dreamers ended since community health centers were funded since hurricanes ravaged TX, FL & PR,” Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) tweeted. “The Republicans refused to fix any of these issues– and they still haven’t fixed them. We don’t need new promises. We need new laws.”
Self-described socialist Bernie Sanders (I-VT) also voted against the CR. He has not tweeted about it, but he did take to Twitter to claim conservatives were conspiring to get a government shutdown.
This government shutdown is part of the long-term, anti-government ideology paid for by the Koch brothers. pic.twitter.com/gnx2xbOBPM
— Bernie Sanders (@SenSanders) January 21, 2018
“This government shutdown is part of the long-term, anti-government ideology paid for by the Koch brothers,” Sanders tweeted.
Meanwhile, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) said amnesty for DACA recipients and other issues are still on the table.
“So long as the government remains open, it would be my intention to take up legislation here in the Senate that would address DACA, border security and related issues as well as disaster relief, defense funding, health care and other important matters,” McConnell said.
