Today, furloughed workers received their second consecutive $0.00 paycheck because yesterday, a plan made by the Democrats, that they hoped would have bipartisan support to end the shutdown, failed to pass, forcing the government shutdown to continue in its 35th day. House Democrats are in the process of composing a border security proposal of $5.2 billion, on a “smart wall” that will include drones, sensors, and additional fencing. Their proposal does not include a wall from the Pacific to the Gulf of Mexico.
Democrats hope to reopen the government without funding President Trump’s border wall but lawmakers are now forced to shape a new agreement to end the government shutdown. The plan needed 60 votes to advance, but received 52-44. Trump’s own proposal, which still included his unwavering desire for $5.7 billion for his border wall, met a similar fate.
The failed bills emphasize the immense divide in Washington, D.C., that has put the country and over 800,000 federal workers at risk. Today is the second consecutive paycheck of $0.00 that federal workers will receive.
House Speaker, Nancy Pelosi, remains hopeful and stated, “I’m still optimistic in the goodness of the Republicans in the Senate, that they will care enough about these people that they will say, ‘Ok, we’ll give two weeks so that we can negotiate an evidence-based, cost-effective, value-respecting way to protect the American people with border security.’”
Media Resources: New York Times 1/24/19; Feminist News 1/22/19
