The occupier of the Oval Office sets us up for the next round of dysfunction:
No one knows, mostly because no one can get a consistent answer out of that "239" pounds of Jell-O who has taken as many different positions on the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program since he cancelled it back in September.
Sure, we have a "promise" from Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell to bring an immigration bill to the floor on February 9, as long as the government stays open. And, by they way, why in the hell would anyone agree to this critical thing happening AFTER the next shutdown deadline?
If there's a glimmer of hope that Congress moves forward on DACA, it's in the rank-and-file Republicans' realization that the November election is staring them in the face and that they are very much on the wrong side of political opinion. Added to that pressure is the defense hawks increasing anger over sequestration and the cap on defense spending increases. They want one, and recognize they have to resolve the other and it will require Democrats.
Asked if he was any more confident that Democrats would strike a spending deal without DACA, Rep. Mike Simpson joked sarcastically, “Oh yes! I’m very positive that leadership is going to get on that!”
The Idaho Republican seemed more annoyed with his own leaders’ unwillingness to close the deal than with Democrats holding up the spending agreement for an immigration deal.
“We’re set up for another CR,” he said. “Unless leadership is going to get busy on a budget deal ASAP.”
Democrats are betting that pressure from rank-and-file Republicans will force leadership to address DACA, particularly as GOP defense hawks in both chambers have threatened to sink government funding because they’re sick of stopgap bills. And more and more Republicans are increasing the pressure on their leaders to find a solution.
There will almost certainly be another short-term bill on the floor in three weeks. Because three weeks of regular people time is about a week and a half of Congress time, and there is no way they resolve all the outstanding issues in the handful of days between now and then. And they're admitting it. "The No. 3 Senate Republican, John Thune of South Dakota, told reporters Monday afternoon that Congress is probably not going to pass a long-term budget deal in the next three weeks and suggested another stopgap may be needed."
Democrats thus have three weeks to get their acts together. House minority leader Nancy Pelosi insists she will continue to refuse support for a long-term budget agreement until DACA is resolved. "The [budget] caps discussion will continue and Democrats will continue to link the two issues," a Pelosi aide told Politico. "Eventually the defense hawks are going to rise up. Republican leadership will be under immense pressure to get his caps deal done from their own members."
But that means holding the DACA line they've already let slip twice. They must do better.