Despite a deadlock over #DHS #funding, #Republican lawmakers left town & left #Democratic & #Trump admin negotiators to try to work out a deal in their absence.
When a disruptive #GovernmentShutdown nears, the Capitol is usually occupied by lawmakers struggling to avoid an embarrassing halt in govt services & the accompanying political fallout. Even if a lapse is a certainty, members of #Congress typically want to look like they are trying to avert it.
Not this time.
The Capitol emptied out Thursday, a full day before the midnight Friday deadline for funding #DHS. Lawmakers who were deadlocked over new restrictions on #immigration officers jetted off to Munich for a security conference or headed home for a weeklong recess, seemingly unconcerned with the looming closure. It was a jarring change from the past, when lawmakers were reluctant to seem like they were giving up for even a moment before time ran out for a deal.
“We are not even going to pretend that we are trying to figure it out,” said Senator Lisa Murkowski, #Republican of Alaska, one of those bound for Germany. “It doesn’t look great.”
Something that I said two weeks ago. The Democrats don't have real leverage, because they let the DHS bill be split apart from the other appropriations. The executive will just continue funding what they want from DHS from BBB money or the Pentagons slush funds.
If the Democrats had not allowed the split and it would have been a broader shutdown, then they would have had at least some leverage and a real fight.
And, I suspect, they didn't want that.
Nonilex
Gerrit 🇪🇺🌍🍉🔻
Paul_IPv6