House Democrats on Monday stepped up the pressure on Republicans to vote for legislation that at least temporarily funds partially closed government agencies, even if it excludes President Trump’s demand for wall funding.
House Appropriations Committee Chairman Nita Lowey, D-N.Y., introduced two bills that would temporarily fund nine departments and dozens of government agencies for which funding has lapsed since Dec. 22.
One of the measures, which will get a vote on Tuesday, would keep those government operations funded until Feb. 1. A second version, which the House will vote on Friday, would maintain funding through Feb. 28.
The Feb. 1 bill will be taken up under special House rules that limit debate, exclude amendments and require two-thirds majority for passage.
Neither of the measures provides any additional funding for a southern border wall, which Trump said is required if he is to sign it into law, but they are likely to increase pressure on Republicans who are getting most of the blame for the shutdown.
“It is critical that we reopen the federal government, and these two new continuing resolutions offer President Trump and Senate Republicans additional options to end the shutdown while allowing time for negotiation on border security and immigration policy,” Lowey said. “We should pass them into law without delay.”
Democrats have called on Trump to sign spending bills first before they start negotiating new border security measures, but Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., told Trump in an Oval Office meeting last week that she would never agree to wall funding.
President Trump has called on Democrats to return to the negotiating table to come up with a compromise. A spokesperson for Pelosi said the White House has not officially invited them to new talks.
