Shutdown 2.0? Government Shutdown Now Looking Likely As Rand Paul Holds Up Vote
JUST IN: The White House is instructing agencies at this hour to begin shutdown preparations in the event that Congress fails to pass a budget before the midnight deadline, a senior administration official says https://t.co/HtgoOxKiPx pic.twitter.com/PDqV96FYzq
— CNN (@CNN) February 8, 2018
Following a Fox News appearance in which he dinged his Republican colleagues for abandoning their conservative principles whenever the GOP becomes the party in power, Sen. Rand Paul (R-KY) decided to take to the Senate floor to hold up a vote on the budget deal that was reached by Senate leaders earlier this week.
While Paul is demanding an amendment vote on the spending bill, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell won’t give him that vote not only because it would require consent of all senators, but due to the possibility of opening up other amendment votes. However, as CNN reported, Paul doesn’t appear willing to back off of his demand, thus setting the stage of a shutdown — at least for a few hours — once we hit midnight.
Sources: leaders will not give Rand Paul his amendment vote. Shutdown, for at least some period, now likely reports @Phil_Mattingly
— Jim Sciutto (@jimsciutto) February 8, 2018
Sen. Paul doesn’t appear to have any intention of consenting to a vote w/out his amendment.
Leaders made clear opening up for one would mean opening up for many. Which means they don’t plan to open it up for one
So…that midnight deadline sure looks like it’s gonna be breached— Phil Mattingly (@Phil_Mattingly) February 8, 2018
With Paul blocking the vote, the White House has instructed agencies to be prepared for a government shutdown. The Office of Management and Budget is preparing for “a lapse of appropriations.”
This possible shutdown comes less than a month after the last partial government shutdown, which was ended with a three-week continuing spending resolution.
[image via screengrab]
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