A sampling from Washington

Posted 1/24/18

WASHINGTON, DC — As the U.S. Senate came to an agreement about re-opening the federal government on January 22, politicians issued statements giving their views of the situation. Republican …

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A sampling from Washington

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WASHINGTON, DC — As the U.S. Senate came to an agreement about re-opening the federal government on January 22, politicians issued statements giving their views of the situation.

Republican Congressman John Faso, who had blamed the shutdown on Democrats, wrote, “Senate Democrats and Sen. Schumer have finally come to their senses and have agreed to reopen the government. It was wrong to hold the nation hostage to the DACA issue, something that was unrelated to the federal government’s budget. Funding for vital programs that support our troops and help veterans and the disabled should never be used as a political bargaining chip.”

To get the Democrats to re-open the government, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell agreed to take up legislation regarding replacing the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program. Pennsylvania’s Democratic senator Bob Casey, who had blamed the shutdown on Republicans, wrote, “The coming debate on Dreamers will be the first Senate debate on immigration in five years… It’s time for Senate Republicans to stop genuflecting to the extreme right and corporate benefactors and work in a bipartisan way to get results for families.”

Sen. Chuck Schumer, who as minority leader was at the center of the action, tweeted, “The GOP majority now has 17 days to prevent #Dreamers from being deported. In every possible way, urge your Senators to vote yes on our bipartisan compromise to #ProtectDreamers when it comes to the floor.”

Democratic senator Kirsten Gillibrand, who also blamed the shutdown on Republicans, tweeted, “I am deeply disappointed that today’s outcome fails to protect Dreamers. They deserve better from the elected leaders of the only country many of them have ever called home.”

Pennsylvania Republican senator Pat Toomey continued to blame Democrats after the re-opening was announced. He tweeted, “We found ourselves in this dysfunctional mess because my colleagues across the aisle recklessly refused to govern and held the government hostage on a single issue impacting a select group of illegal immigrants.”

washington dc, congress

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