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Trump Signs Funding Bill, Bringing Shutdown To An End

Jose Luis Magana
/
AP
Sen. Dick Durbin D-Ill. rally in support of Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA), also nows as DREAM ACT, during a rally outside of the Capitol, Sunday, Jan. 21, 2018, in Washington, on second day of the federal shutdown.

President Trump has signed a stopgap spending bill passed by Congress on Monday, ending the partial shutdown of the federal government after three days.

The White House has said normal government operations will resume by Tuesday morning.

The bill passed the Senate on Monday afternoon with a 81-18 vote, but the real hurdle was the procedural vote earlier in the day requiring at least 60 votes. That's where the measure hit a snafu late Friday night, triggering the stalemate. The House later passed the 17-day extension by a 266-150 vote.

Shortly before the Monday procedural vote was set to begin, Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., announced that he would vote to reopen the government along with enough Democrats needed to advance the bill. After 24 hours of furious negotiation over plans to consider immigration legislation in the coming weeks, the Senate voted to move forward with the continuing resolution, which would fund the government through Feb. 8.

In exchange for his support, Schumer said, he has received assurances from Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., that if an agreement isn't reached by then, the GOP leader will bring a vote to the floor on legislation to grant legal status to those protected under the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program, roughly 700,000 immigrants who are in the country illegally after being brought here as children. The bill also extends the expired Children's Health Insurance Program for six years.

Reaction from Illinois Delegation

U.S. Rep. Rodney Davis, R-Taylorville, blamed Senate Democrats for the shutdown.

“Time and time again, I am amazed by the level of dysfunction within the U.S. Senate and I am incredibly disappointed that Senators Durbin and Duckworth continue to be part of the problem," Davis said in a statement. "Senators (Dick) Durbin and (Tammy) Duckworth voted against a government funding bill on Friday, forced a government shutdown on Saturday, and then voted for a nearly identical funding bill on Monday. This is why people are frustrated with Washington."

Durbin, the senior Democratic senator from Illinois, issued a statement Monday focused on those impacted by DACA.

“We have gathered the largest bipartisan group of Senators to ever commit to moving forward on the Dream Act and immigration. We have a process. I believe that that sets the stage for us to work together," Durbin said in a statement. "For the first time in five years, we will have a debate on the floor of the Senate on the Dream Act and immigration,” said Durbin. “To all the Dreamers who are watching today: don’t give up. I know that your lives are hanging in the balance on what we do here on Capitol Hill and with the White House.

"Three weeks from now, I hope to be joining you in celebrating the passage, with you and your families and your communities, of a measure which will strengthen America and give you an opportunity to be part of our future," he added.

A spokesperson for Duckworth said the junior senator from Illinois didn't have time for "blame-game rhetoric."

“The American people didn’t send Donald Trump to the White House and Republicans to control both Houses of Congress so they could pass the buck and blame everyone else for their failure to pass Republican-authored bills that could have prevented this crisis," said spokesperson Kiera Ellis. "The people of Illinois will see right through Congressmen Bost, Davis and Shimkus’ ridiculous position that they and Trump have no responsibility for this shutdown."

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