US Senate moves closer to deal to reopen government

Several Democratic senators are signaling their willingness to support a plan to reopen the government if they get key concessions from the White House, opening up hope of ending the longest shutdown in US history.

US Capitol Building in Washington, DC Photo: THX/TTXVN

Several Democratic senators are signaling they are ready to vote to reopen the government if they win some final major concessions from the White House, a sign that a major breakthrough that could end the longest shutdown in US history is imminent.

Citing sources familiar with the negotiations, CNN said the new deal would include a temporary measure to extend the government's budget until January, along with a larger budget package to fully fund several key agencies.

The larger bill would include three full-year appropriations bills, covering military construction and veterans affairs, the legislative branch and the Department of Agriculture. It would include $203.5 million in new funding to enhance security and protection for members of Congress, in addition to $852 million for the Capitol Police, according to a summary of the legislative funding bill provided by Sen. Patty Murray, the Democratic appropriations chief.

The new deal, however, will not include an extension of subsidies under the soon-to-expire Affordable Care Act (ACA) — a key demand of Democrats and a sticking point in previous votes — but will ensure a Senate vote on the issue at a later date.

Democrats believe that President Donald Trump’s hardline stance against extending ACA benefits will prevent a real bipartisan agreement on the issue, so some members of the party are willing to accept that the issue will be addressed separately later in order to end the worsening government shutdown crisis, the source said.

There are still several key issues that need to be resolved before the government can reopen, according to the source, the most important of which is the Democrats' demand to restore the positions of federal employees who were fired by the Trump administration.

Two sources told CNN there could be a reversal of some of the layoffs that were implemented during the federal government shutdown.

It remains unclear when the votes will take place, as final negotiations are underway behind the scenes. Senate Majority Leader John Thune has indicated that the initial vote could come as early as the evening of November 9 (Washington DC time).

The Senate will first vote on the House-approved stopgap measure, which requires eight Democrats to support it. The Senate will then amend the bill with a larger bipartisan funding package.

If the bill passes the Senate, it will have to go back to the House for final approval before heading to President Trump's desk to reopen the government, a process that could take several more days.

Source: https://baolamdong.vn/thuong-vien-my-tien-gan-thoa-thuan-mo-cua-lai-chinh-phu-401743.html