Campaign Action
For the first time since the partial government shutdown began 34 days ago, the Senate on Thursday held two votes to advance legislation to reopen government, with both failing to gain the necessary 60-vote margin.
First up was the Stephen Miller white supremacist special, which purports to help Dreamers and people under special protected status but instead screws them by only giving them three years of protection. It takes the "asylum" part out of the nation's asylum laws AND would build the racist border wall. It went down 50-47. Sen. Joe Manchin of West Virginia was the only defector among Democrats. Maybe because it doesn't do away entirely with asylum and wouldn't immediately deport all of the Dreamers, Republican Sens. Tom Cotton of Arkansas and Mike Lee of Utah voted against it.
Second was the continuing resolution that would reopen government and provide $14 billion in disaster relief to states still suffering from last year's extreme storms and fires. It got more votes than the Trump bill, going down 52-44. Republican Sens. Lamar Alexander of Tennessee, Susan Collins of Maine, Cory Gardner of Colorado, Johnny Isakson of Georgia, Lisa Murkowski of Alaska, and Mitt Romney of Utah voted with all of the Democrats to end this now.
The federal employees who are furloughed are going to miss their second paycheck tomorrow.
Call your Republican senators at 202-224-3121 and tell them to reopen government. Don't stop until this is over.