As the News Blender reported on Wednesday the Senate under the leadership of Mitch McConnell (R-KY) had introduced a Federal Government Continuing Resolution spending bill that would fund the government until February 8th, 2019.
Wednesday afternoon by voice vote, the Senate passed the measure, leaving the House to tackle the C.R., on Thursday.
The Hill reports that on Thursday the House, “plunged into chaos,” after, “an insurrection at a GOP conference meeting Thursday left Republican leaders scrambling to find votes for their stopgap spending measure.
According to the article “rank-and-file,” Republican House members expressed, “outrage that the measure did not include disaster relief or $5 billion in funding for President Trump’s proposed border wall.”
The Washington Post reports that as talks broke-down between Republicans in the House, some of the Republicans appeared unsure on what President Trump “actually wanted before he would sign legislation.”
According to the article a hastily scheduled meeting between President Trump House Republican’s started at noon.
It’s being reported via Twitter that the House members meeting with President Trump are: Retiring Speaker of the House Paul Ryan (WI), Kevin McCarthy (CA), Mark Meadows (NC), Jim Jordan (OH), and added in a separate tweet Steve Scalise (LA).
MSNBC correspondent Kasie Hunt reported via Twitter that leaders are “scrambling to see if they can pass $5 billion in wall funding,” adding that some “Republicans say they want President Trump to tweet before they say, yes.”
President Trump last week said he was “proud,” to shutdown the government if his wall wasn’t funded. Only later it appeared he was willing to fund the government, but on Twitter on Thursday he seemed to say he was unwilling to sign the C.R., if it did not include wall funding.
Adding to the chaos Press Secretary Sarah Sanders issued a statement that explained President Trump is not ready to sign the bill, her statement via the Washington Post reads in part, “At this moment, the President does not want to go further without border security, which includes steel slats or a wall. The President is continuing to weigh his options.”
President Trump will not sign the C.R., that passed the Senate on Wednesday Speaker of the House Paul Ryan has said.
The Washington Post notes that they have until Friday at midnight to fund the government, if the C.R., or a spending deal is not reached the agencies that will be out of funds come Saturday are: those that govern homeland security, law enforcement, transportation, and the Treasury Department.
For what it’s worth: Several outgoing Republican Congressmen are not in D.C., in order to vote for the C.R..
As an aside, in the you can’t make this stuff up file, a GoFundMe page has been set-up to fund the wall, according to The Hill it has raised $5 million and is trending on Twitter.
It is also worth noting President Trump is scheduled to depart D.C., for Florida, where he is expected to spend 16 days, on Friday.
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