Ten things that just happened (aside from the government reopening)

[DonViejo]

By Jennifer Rubin January 22 at 1:52 PM

The Senate and the House will vote to end the shutdown and reopen the government. At first blush, it seems as though nothing happened, and that we will be right back in the same place when the new bill’s funding runs out on February 8.

However, ten things did change, some more important than others:

1. As part of the funding bill, Children’s Health Insurance Program, or CHIP, will be reauthorized for six years. Nine million kids won’t be held hostage when the next budget impasse comes around. It is noteworthy that Democrats got that without giving up a substantive trade-off (other than re-opening the government).

2. The promise by Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) to put a bill on the floor to address the DACA issue by Feb. 8 is a head-scratcher. Sen. Charles E. Schumer (D-N.Y.) — the minority leader who is already being pummeled by immigration activists — said: “The process will be neutral and fair to all sides. We expect that a bipartisan bill on [the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program] will receive fair consideration and an up-or-down vote on the floor.” Democrats expect that, and McConnell promised an up-or-down vote (and how could he, really?). But his promise does not and cannot bind the House.

3. Both sides know better than to negotiate with President Trump. Removing him from the equation, thereby diminishing the influence of senior adviser and anti-immigrant hardliner Stephen Miller, should make a deal possible. The great dealmaker has been sent out to pasture (or to Davos, if you prefer). Trump was exposed as a non-player, a hazard to dealmaking. That’s quite a blow to his brand.

4. This is about putting the screws to the House. The Senate, if possible, will pass a bill and then, as they like to say, “jam” the House. The bill and possibly continued funding will then rest with House. Whether House Speaker Paul D. Ryan (R-Wis.) has the nerve to bring a DACA bill to the floor (and actually act on his sympathetic rhetoric!) is a big open question. Making House Republicans the bad guys on this may help Democrats’ chances in the midterm elections, but the path to putting an actual bill on the president’s desk is murky at best. As former Department of Justice spokesman Matthew Miller tweeted, “I don’t think people analyzing the politics of this have considered how bad the situation will be for the GOP if the Senate passes a DACA bill, the House doesn’t, and deportations start in the months before the midterms.” Perhaps.

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https://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/right-turn/wp/2018/01/22/ten-things-that-just-happened-aside-from-the-government-reopening/?utm_term=.a05a3cd818c5

[Eyeball_Kid]

1. First, trusting McConnell should be DOA. No one should be trusting McConnell.

Second, the House will NOT vote in favor of DACA because the Senate version will never be introduced to the floor for a vote, and the House will NOT vote for their own version of a DACA bill.

So this means that the government will again be shut down in February.

Making predictions is a terrible way to make a living, and I'm not getting paid for it. But based upon the GOP's extraordinary dysfunction, predicting failure and chaos isn't difficult. Regrettably, I'll lean toward another shutdown.

[imanamerican63]

2. Exactly!