In the 2019 GOP-controlled Senate, the first bill to be considered –
S.1 – is not designed to protect American workers, bolster U.S.
companies, or address the various debates over border security and
immigration. It’s not a bill to open the government. Instead, according
to multiple sources involved in the legislative process, S.1 will be a
compendium containing a handful of foreign-policy related
measures, a main one of which is a provision, with Florida’s GOP Sen.
Marco Rubio as a lead sponsor, to defend the Israeli government. The
bill is a top legislative priority for AIPAC.
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'Pouring Salt Into the Wound' Amid Shutdown, Trump Signs Executive Order Freezing Pay of Nearly 2 Million Federal Workers
With hundreds of thousands of federal employees currently furloughed or
working without pay due to the ongoing government shutdown, President
Donald Trump delivered another blow to struggling workers on Friday by signing an executive order that will freeze the pay of around two million public employees in 2019.
President Trump Rejects Proposal to Temporarily Reopen the Government
President Trump said on Monday that he has rejected a proposal by
Senator Lindsey Graham of South Carolina to temporarily reopen the
government in an effort to jump-start talks with Democratic lawmakers on
funding a border wall. Mr. Trump, advisers said, has refused to allow his acting chief of
staff, Mick Mulvaney, or anyone else negotiating on his behalf to
compromise on his demand for $5.7 billion in border wall funding. That
has led to awkward moments in front of congressional leaders.
Trump Storms Out of White House Meeting with Democrats on Shutdown
President Trump slammed his hand on a table and stormed out of a White
House meeting with congressional leaders on Wednesday after Speaker
Nancy Pelosi of California said she would not fund a wall along the
southern border, dramatically escalating the confrontation over the
government shutdown.
As shutdown stalls farm bailout, Trump team extends deadline
The government shutdown has stalled President
Trump’s program to send billions of dollars to farmers hurt by the trade
war with China, as the Agriculture Department office responsible for
administering the payouts is closed for lack of funding. On
Tuesday, Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue announced that the
department has extended the deadline for farmers to apply for bailout
payments. The application window was slated to close Jan. 15, but Perdue
said Tuesday that the deadline will be extended, at minimum, weeks
after the shutdown ends.
Domestic Violence Shelters Scramble To Keep Doors Open Amid Shutdown
Domestic violence shelters across the country are cobbling together funds to keep their doors open as the government shutdown hits the two-week mark.
Most shelters pay their staff, rent and expenses out of pocket, and are repaid with federal funds at the end of each month, Kim Gandy, the president of the National Network to End Domestic Violence explained.
Trump Agrees to Reopen Government for 3 Weeks in Surprise Retreat From Wall
President Trump agreed Friday to reopen the federal government for three
weeks while negotiations proceeded over how to secure the nation’s
southwestern border, backing down after a month-long standoff failed to
force Democrats to give him billions of dollars for his long-promised
wall.
How Every Senator Voted on Ending the Government Shutdown
Senators rejected two competing bills
to end the government shutdown on Thursday. There were signs of
bipartisanship: Six Republicans supported the Democratic bill for two
weeks of funding. One Democrat voted for President Trump’s proposal for a
border wall.
Shutdown in U.S., slowing growth in China fuel concerns over global economy
Fears are rising about the state of
the world’s biggest economies, with China posting its worst annual
growth in decades and the United States injecting more uncertainty with
tariffs and a lengthy government shutdown. China
reported Monday that its economy expanded at 6.6 percent last year — a
figure that would be good for many countries but represents the slowest
growth for China in 28 years.
‘A crisis like we’ve never seen’: Native communities shed light on government shutdown’s impacts
In the first congressional hearing at which Native members of Congress
were present, Democratic representatives on Tuesday heard directly from
Native American communities that are being devastated by the ongoing
partial government shutdown, which this week became the longest in U.S.
history.