Rep. Jeb Hensarling (R-TX)
Early Monday it looked like a deal was near for the spending bill Congress must pass within days to avert a government shutdown. Then it
hit a snag, because Republicans can't resist trying to write poison pills into everything they touch. In this case, Democratic Sen. Chuck Schumer and Republican Rep. Jeb Hensarling have been working on an extension of a terrorism insurance program, and appeared to be close to a deal. But:
Rep. Jeb Hensarling (R-Texas), a frequent foe of big business who chairs the Financial Services Committee, is trying to use the negotiations over renewing the Terrorism Risk Insurance Act to enact changes to Dodd-Frank, the 2010 banking regulation law Republicans have tried to dismantle.
Why not just stick in an Obamacare repeal vote, too?
Schumer and Hensarling continue to talk, but time is getting short. Really short:
Leaders still hope to release the bill Tuesday, giving Congress less than 48 hours to beat the deadline. While the GOP-controlled House would be able to move quickly to pass the bill, Democrats in charge of the Senate would need to secure an agreement from Republicans to skip procedural rules and pass the bill by Thursday night. It was unclear late Monday whether GOP leaders would be able to get such an agreement from Republican senators hoping to strip federal agencies of the money and power to enforce President Obama’s recent executive action changing the nation’s immigration laws.
In short, if Republicans can gut Wall Street reform passed in 2010 and make a solid attempt at blocking Obama's recent immigration action from being enforced, they might be willing to fund the government before it shuts down. And they still might need Democratic votes in the House. Responsible governance, y'all!