So the government is back… and frankly the time off was painful for all involved… no one likes a shutdown. While it may seem like the Democrats caved, they used the tools at their disposal as best as they possibly could.
Look at it this way… The Whitehouse could not come up with the deal they so brashly announced they could get done.
Dems 1 – Reps 0 – Indp 1
The Senate has a public and bipartisan promise from the majority leader that they will take on the DACA debate with a specific date to take the vote. This is actually a win on both sides as the majority leader needed to show HIS ability to make a deal, unlike the Whitehouse.
Dems 2 – Reps 1 (because he DID something!) – Indp 2
If for some reason the debate goes south, the Dems only agreed to a 3-week window of funding the government. If the Republicans do not hold up their end of the deal, the shutdown can commence again.
Dems 3 – Reps 1 – Indp 3
So for anyone thinking to bring the government back on was caving… think again.
Democrats want DACA legislation that allows the dreamers to stay in the country by March to keep them from being deported. Some Republicans do as well. We need them to think about how best to get there.
Now, YOU think about how you can help get the 4-5 Republican votes needed to get a clean DACA bill passed in the Senate. That IS the goal!