Remember when government shutdowns were a really, really big deal? Even the whisper of one was a sign that things were seriously broken in Washington, because Congress and the president knew how serious a thing that is. Now the possibility of a stalemate ending in shutdown is a quarterly, or lately, a monthly occurrence. The last one was days before Christmas because no one wants to deal with Congress during Christmas, particularly Congress. But they only gave themselves until January 19. So here we go again.
Congressional leadership will meet Wednesday with White House legislative director Marc Short and Budget Director Mick Mulvaney to figure out what, if anything, happens next. Democrats are trying to make stuff happen, stuff that's important and has been kicked down the road too many times already. Republicans seem to be operating under the assumption that if you kick the problem down the road enough times it will go away.
House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi sent a letter to her Democratic colleagues on Tuesday insisting that Democrats would demand higher domestic spending. President Donald Trump tweeted a broadside at Democrats, saying the party is "doing nothing for DACA—just interested in politics." That missive came days after Trump egged on Democrats over his plan to eliminate the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program, tweeting that "there can be no DACA deal" without a wall along the U.S.-Mexico border—which Democrats have ruled out. […]
Republicans are eager to separate a debate on Dreamers from the latest budget fight, with White House officials saying Tuesday that the meeting's focus will be on raising stiff budget caps for defense and domestic programs over the next two years — not on immigration. […]
Wednesday's meeting is the first of several key strategy sessions taking place in the coming days. Trump is meeting with Ryan and McConnell at Camp David this weekend to map out the GOP agenda, including whether and how to tackle welfare programs, health care and infrastructure. House and Senate Republicans will hold their annual joint retreat at month's end.
If they keep putting off deciding on a fix for the DACA kids, eventually there won't be any more DACA kids left because they will have all lost their protected status. More than 14,000 have lost their protected status since Trump ended the program in September. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell wants to push this off a few more months, the White House wants to put it off. Press Secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders said Tuesday that right now the "president wants a two-year budget deal that provides realistic budget caps, and provides certainty for our national security," and that will be "the focus, front and center, for the conversations that are taking place this week."
Meanwhile, they're already planning for the next short-term continuing resolution because they know they won't have a budget deal all worked out in the next 16 days.
"Until we have an agreement, I don't think you have a choice but to think about another CR," Rep. Tom Cole (R-Okla.), a longtime spending leader, told POLITICO on Tuesday. He said he expects another continuing resolution to last possibly through Presidents Day.
That spending has to include long-term guarantees for Children's Health Insurance Program and community health centers, it has to include more disaster relief for last year’s massive hurricanes and wildfires, and it there's also the little issue of a debt ceiling looming in the next few months. And, still, permanent protected status for the DACA kids. Oh, and keeping the government open.