Updated at 6:01 p.m.
Vermont’s two U.S. senators, Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.) and Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), on Monday voted against a bipartisan, short-term deal to end a three-day government shutdown. Congressman Peter Welch (D-Vt.) has said that he plans to do the same when the legislation comes before the House.
Leahy and Sanders were among just 18 senators, including two Republicans, who opposed a procedural measure clearing the way for a spending bill that would fund the government through February 8. Another 81 senators, including 33 Democrats, voted to proceed with debate.
Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) won over a majority of Democrats by promising to hold a vote in February on the fate of so-called Dreamers, undocumented immigrants brought to the U.S. as children. Their fate has been uncertain since President Donald Trump rescinded the Obama-era Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program last September.
Democrats had previously refused to support a short-term spending bill unless it included explicit protections for Dreamers. To the consternation of their more liberal colleagues — and those considering running for president — a group of moderate and politically vulnerable Democrats worked over the weekend to forge a compromise that would reopen the government in exchange for the promise of a vote on DACA.
In a statement Monday afternoon, Sanders said, “The reason I voted against today’s continuing resolution is simple: Tens of millions of lives are at stake. We must act NOW, not kick the can down the road.”
His concerns, Sanders said, include “the fate of the 800,000 Dreamers who have lived here almost all of their lives, but could soon be faced with deportation” and the “27 million Americans who will find it harder and harder to get their health care through community health centers because that program has not yet been reauthorized.”
Leahy, who serves as vice chair of the Senate Appropriations Committee, said in his own statement Monday that he was “relieved there is an end in sight to this shutdown.”
“But,” he added, “Republican leaders and President Trump have left too much undone — from a bipartisan budget deal, to disaster relief, to community health centers, to the opioid crisis, to DACA.”
After final passage in the Senate, the measure is expected to move to the House later Monday. When it does, Welch plans to vote against it.
“Today marks the fourth time in four months that Congress will pass a budget patch rather than a long-term budget that reflects the pressing priorities of the American people,” the congressman said in a written statement.
He expressed doubt that Democrats will get what they were promised.
“Regarding the Dreamers, Senator McConnell has offered weak assurances that the Senate will soon address their status,” Welch said. “Speaker [Paul] Ryan has given no such assurance to the House, not even a weak one.”
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“Leahy and Sanders were among just 18 senators, including two Republicans, who opposed a procedural measure clearing the way for a spending bill that would fund the government through February 8.”
Once again, most Democrats show how worthless they are. They have proven time and time again that they are too weak to stand for anything and cave at the first sign of opposition. I have to thank Senators Leahy and Sanders for their efforts, its just unfortunate that they are in the party of the spineless. Perhaps its time for Leahy to become an independent. If Dems want to know why voters are leaving the party or simply not voting, they only need to look in the mirror.
A compromise was reached. That is what Democracy used to be before the far left and far right poisoned the process into gridlock.
And of course Bernie voted no and Leahy also.
Maybe – with some more compromise, there may be solutions, which of course will not be palatable because the new definition of compromise to the far sides of the spectrum is you give up and meet all my demands.
ConcernedVter – Compromise generally means that both sides walk away with something. Care to enlighten us on exactly what Dems walked away with besides empty promises?
Shame on Leahy and Sanders for putting illegals ahead of our military service members fighting to protect their butts!
And yet when it comes to basing their prized budget-busting F-35 fighter jet, Bernie Sanders and Patrick Leahy have zero problem deporting US citizens and their own Vermont constituents, including legal immigrant refugees, from their homes and neighborhoods in Winooski, South Burlington, etc. So long as Leahy’s real estate developer relatives and campaign donors can prosper from rezoning for more intensive development & forcing people out of their homes, all is well with Vermont’s Congressional delegation. These “representatives” have refused to meet with the elderly, the working poor, etc. living in the F-35’s new “not suitable for residential use zone.” For going on 6 years now. Shutting down the government to deprive these US citizens and legal immigrant constituents of their Social Security checks, WIC benefits, etc. is perfectly consistent with Bernie and Leahy’s record.
For Bernie & Leahy, illegal aliens and Texas Lockheed-Martin executives go to the front of the line, while US citizens and legal immigrants must sacrifice their health and home values at the altar of the military-industrialists. Not the Democratic Party we grew up with!
Once again Bernie gets spanked. His heart is in the right place, but he is not great at knowing how to win because he never really learned how to win – a consequence of his big government/socialist beliefs. In this case, DACA was/is supported by almost everyone, but instead of playing it out to win, he tried to outfox Trump by linking DACA to the US budget talks. Fail. What Bernie needs to do is focus on individual issues, one at a time, and stop these silly attempts at horse trading of issues…Bernie is not really good at that. Too bad, I like Bernie, but….
Thank you for not abandoning DACA. You are faithful to principles our country was founded on.
So according to our trio of representatives the rights of 800,000 illegals > 320,000,000 American citizens? Must be more of that wonderful new math they teach.
I would expect as much from them. They put a higher value on representing foreign national living in the US illegally than on actual American cities.
As for the government shut down and the thousands of Americans who were furloughed……….not to worry it did not affect the pay and benefits of the senators in the slightest.
This shutdown is proof that there should be term limits on federal government seats. They are elected to work for the people, get paid six figures, lifetime health care, government pension, plus 14 weeks vacation a years and the lazy assholes still vote to close the government so they can have another day off on our dime.
#timetovotethebaldguysout
You all knew the 3 so-called democrats, yes Sanders is a Democrat, not an Independent. All they care about is the illegals not the American Citizens of this country. They don’t listen to us who are their bosses, we pay their checks every month, the illegals don’t.. if things don’t go their way they pout cry and yell.. TERM LIMITS !!!!