Tag: #TrumpShutdown

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Report: #TrumpShutdown Cost US Economy $11 Billion

Donald Trump's knee-jerk reaction to criticism by Rush Limbaugh and Ann Coulter, which triggered the longest government shutdown in US history, cost the US economy $11 billion, reports the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office.
Donald Trump

Donald Trump’s knee-jerk reaction to criticism by Rush Limbaugh and Ann Coulter, which triggered the longest government shutdown in US history, cost the US economy $11 billion, reports the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office.

The analysis takes into account lost output from federal workers, delayed government spending and reduced demand.

Via CNBC:

The report, which was released Monday, estimated a hit of $3 billion, or 0.1 percent, to economic activity during the fourth quarter of 2018. The impact was projected to be greater during the first quarter of 2019: $8 billion, or 0.2 percent of GDP.

Although most of the damage to the economy will be reversed as federal workers return to their jobs, the CBO estimated $3 billion in economic activity is permanently lost after a quarter of the government was closed for nearly 35 days.

“Among those who experienced the largest and most direct negative effects are federal workers who faced delayed compensation and private-sector entities that lost business,” the report said. “Some of those private-sector entities will never recoup that lost income.”

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President Agrees To End #TrumpShutdown Without Funding For Border Wall

Donald Trump announced today that lawmakers have reached a deal to end the longest government shutdown in the history of the country, and fund the government through February 15.

After 35 days of posturing by the president, the agreement includes zero money for his proposed border wall.

From The New York Times:

President Trump agreed Friday to reopen the federal government for three weeks while negotiations proceeded over how to secure the nation’s southwestern border, backing down after a monthlong standoff failed to force Democrats to give him billions of dollars for his long-promised wall.

The decision paved the way for Congress to quickly pass spending bills that Mr. Trump will sign to restore normal operations at a series of federal agencies until Feb. 15 and begin paying again the 800,000 federal workers who have been furloughed or forced to work for free for 35 days.

Trump made note during his announcement that he still has “a very powerful” option to get his way (most probably declaring a ‘national emergency’) but didn’t want to use that “at this time.”

It’s difficult to imagine how Trump can spin this as anything other than wasting five weeks and inflicting financial hardship on the American people.

And Ann Coulter, who goaded Trump into the shutdown, is furious:

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Trump Agrees To Postpone State Of The Union Address Until #TrumpShutdown Is Resolved

President Trump said late Wednesday that he would deliver his State of the Union address once the federal government reopens, capping a day of brinkmanship with Speaker Nancy Pelosi, who told the president that he was not welcome to deliver the speech in the House chamber while the government is partly closed.
Nancy Pelosi (L) and Donald Trump (R)

From The New York Times:

President Trump said late Wednesday that he would deliver his State of the Union address once the federal government reopens, capping a day of brinkmanship with Speaker Nancy Pelosi, who told the president that he was not welcome to deliver the speech in the House chamber while the government is partly closed.

“As the Shutdown was going on, Nancy Pelosi asked me to give the State of the Union Address,” Mr. Trump wrote on Twitter shortly after 11 p.m., hours after he had said he would look for another venue for the speech. “I agreed. She then changed her mind because of the Shutdown, suggesting a later date. This is her prerogative – I will do the Address when the Shutdown is over.”

House Democrats continue to say they are willing to give Trump substantial amounts of money for border security (technology, manpower), just not for his beloved wall.

The Senate will vote to day on two different proposals – one that supports Trump’s demands, one that funds the government shutdown to an end without funding ‘the wall.’

Neither proposal is expected to get the necessary 60 votes in the Senate to pass, although 3 Republicans – Sen. Cory Gardner (R-Colorado), Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska) and Sen. Susan Collins (R-Maine), have signaled they would vote for the continuing resolution that would reopen the government.

Speaker Pelosi circled back one more time for clarity:

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Nancy Pelosi To Trump: Come To The House When The Government Has Been Opened

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi issued a letter today to Donald Trump reiterating that she does not intend on hosting the annual State of the Union address in Congress until the ongoing federal shutdown comes to an end.
Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi issued a letter today to Donald Trump reiterating that she does not intend on hosting the annual State of the Union address in Congress until the ongoing federal shutdown comes to an end.

From CNBC:

In a letter to Trump, Pelosi escalated a standoff over the annual address hours after the president said he would give the speech in the House chamber next week as planned. Earlier this month, Pelosi urged him to reschedule the remarks or deliver them elsewhere during a partial government shutdown.

Pelosi wrote that the Democratic-held House would not pass the resolution needed to approve the joint session of Congress where he would deliver the address. She said lawmakers “will not consider a concurrent resolution authorizing the President’s State of the Union address in the House Chamber until government has opened.”

“Again, I look forward to welcoming you to the House on a mutually agreeable date for this address when government has been opened,” Pelosi wrote. House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy said he introduced a resolution Wednesday to allow Trump to deliver the address, but it is unlikely to pass without Pelosi’s support.

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Polls: Trump’s Rating Continue To Sink As He Clings To Border Wall Demand

Recently polling shows the longer the current Trump shutdown of the federal government continues, the more it wears on his approval rating.
Donald Trump

Recently polling shows the longer the current Trump shutdown of the federal government continues, the more it wears on his approval rating.

New results from the Morning Consult/POLITICO poll shows Trump’s approval rating has dropped to 40% while his disapproval rating has hit an all-time high for this poll of 57%.
More results:
• 54% put the onus on Trump and Congressional Republicans for the government shutdown, while 35% blame Democrats.
• In regarding to the ongoing investigation into Russian interference in the 2016 election, a solid majority – 57% – believe Russia has compromising information on Trump.
The results of the latest CBS News poll aren’t any better for Trump:
• 66% of those polled say Trump should agree to the current budget proposal without insisting on his wall.
• Regarding the current shutdown, 47% approved of the way Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi is handling the situation versus 35% approving of Trump’s approach.
• Trump’s approval rating in the CBS News poll has dropped to 36% while 59% disapprove of the job he’s doing.

Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi isn’t shy about spreading the news…

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Senate To Hold Two Votes On Ending #TrumpShutdown

The Senate will vote Thursday on two separate bills that would bring an immediate end to the partial government shutdown: one backed by President Trump that includes $5.7 billion for his border wall and another that would simply extend funding for shuttered agencies through Feb. 8.
Donald Trump

The New York Times reports Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell and Minority Leader Chuck Schumer have agreed to hold two votes in the Senate on Thursday regarding the ongoing Trump Shutdown.

The Senate will vote Thursday on two separate bills that would bring an immediate end to the partial government shutdown: one backed by President Trump that includes $5.7 billion for his border wall and another that would simply extend funding for shuttered agencies through Feb. 8.

The plan, a compromise between Senator Mitch McConnell, the majority leader, and Senator Chuck Schumer, the Democratic leader, offers the first hint of a path out of the partial shutdown, which is now in its fifth week and has left 800,000 federal workers without pay. The two announced it Tuesday afternoon on the Senate floor.

”People are saying isn’t there a way out of this mess, isn’t there a way to relieve the burden on the 800,000 federal workers not getting paid, isn’t there a way to get government services open first and debate what we should do for border security later?” Mr. Schumer said. “Well, now there’s a way.”

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Trump Offers Temporary DACA Relief In Exchange For His Permanent Wall To End #TrumpShutdown

Donald Trump, in a national address from the White House, offered a temporary extension of protections for some undocumented immigrants in exchange for $5.7 billion to fund his beloved wall.

From the New York Times:

In casting the proposal as a compromise, Mr. Trump sought to shift pressure to Democrats to end the government shutdown.

The president, delivering a 13-minute address from the White House, said he would extend the legal status of those facing deportation and support bipartisan legislation that would allow some immigrants who came to the United States illegally as children, known as Dreamers, to keep their work permits and be protected from deportation for three more years if they are revoked.

“That is our plan,” Mr. Trump said. “Straightforward, fair, reasonable and common sense with lots of compromise.” The proposal, Mr. Trump said, was intended to “break the logjam and provide Congress with a path forward.”

But he reiterated his demand for $5.7 billion in funding for a border barrier, and Speaker Nancy Pelosi said ahead of his remarks that she considered his proposal a “nonstarter,” in part because it offered no permanent pathway to citizenship for Dreamers.

I agree with Pelosi. If he wants a permanent wall, then we want permanent protections for the DACA Dreamers.

Last year, Republicans rejected a Democratic bill for $25 billion in border wall funding in return for DACA amnesty.

It’s worth noting that Trump himself started the issue with DACA. So, now he’s merely offering a temporary solution for a mess he made.

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Trump Plans To Offer DACA Protections In Exchange For His Wall

Axios' Jonathan Swan is reporting Donald Trump plans to offer passage of the BRIDGE Act for DACA recipients to Democrats today in exchange for the $5.7 billion he wants for his beloved wall.
Donald Trump

Axios‘ Jonathan Swan is reporting Donald Trump plans to offer passage of the BRIDGE Act for DACA recipients to Democrats today in exchange for the $5.7 billion he wants for his beloved wall.

President Trump plans to use remarks from the Diplomatic Reception Room on Saturday afternoon to propose a notable immigration compromise, according to sources familiar with the speech.

Details: The offer is expected to include Trump’s $5.7 billion demand for wall money in exchange for the BRIDGE Act — which would extend protections for Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) — and also legislation to extend the legal status of Temporary Protected Status (TPS) holders, according to a source with direct knowledge.

For their part, Dems are reportedly preparing to pass a package of six spending bills next week which will include an extra $1 billion for additional border security measures.

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House Speaker Nancy Pelosi Asks Trump To Postpone State Of The Union Address

Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi has asked Donald Trump to postpone his State of the Union address to Congress until the Trump Shutdown is solved.
Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi

Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi has asked Donald Trump to postpone his State of the Union address to Congress until the Trump Shutdown is solved.

Politico reporter Rachel Bade says Democrats are not of a mind to give Trump a platform to blame them in a national address for a situation he created.

Pelosi reportedly asked that perhaps Trump could deliver his SOTU to Congress in writing.

Can you imagine? He can barely author a tweet.

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More Polling Shows Trump Bears The Blame For #TrumpShutdown

More Americans blame Donald Trump for current government shutdown
More Americans blame Donald Trump for current government shutdown

New polling from Morning Consult/Politico shows more Americans blame Donald Trump for the current shutdown of the federal government than the Democrats.

From the data culled from surveying 1,984 registered voters:

• 49% blame Donald Trump for the shutdown versus 33% who put the onus on Democrats

• 36% say Trump should declare a ‘national emergency’ to get his wall while a slight majority – 51% – would view that action as an abuse of power

• 47% say they will ‘definitely’ vote for someone other than Trump in the 2020 presidential election compared to just 23% who would ‘definitely’ vote for Trump

• Broken down by political party, 85% of Democrats and 48% of Independents say they would ‘definitely’ vote for someone other than Trump

• Only 54% of Republicans fall in the ‘definitely’ camp for Trump