New Year to Be a Challenge for Republicans in Congress

WASHINGTON — Their tax bill triumph in the rear-view mirror, Republicans running Congress face a 2018 in which they'll need Democratic votes to get almost anything done.

And that won't be easy. Short of a few must-pass items, divisions within both parties plus a natural election-year tendency to draw distinctions with the other side means achievements and cooperation will be minimal.

The pressure will be on the GOP, which controls the White House, Senate and House and would probably be blamed by voters for any major screw-ups. Since Republicans will have just a 51-49 Senate majority next year — well shy of the 60 votes needed to pass most bills — Democrats will have leverage for most things, including a deal to prevent a politically jolting January federal shutdown.

"There's not much you can do on a partisan basis in the Senate," Senate Majority Leader McConnell, R-Ky., conceded to reporters Friday.

Topping McConnell's immediate list will be a spending bill averting a shutdown and providing big boosts for the Pentagon. In exchange, Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., will be demanding comparable increases for domestic spending. Schumer also wants a deal to extend protections that President Donald Trump has threatened to halt for immigrants brought to the U.S. illegally as children, the so-called Dreamers.

https://www.nytimes.com/aponline/201...d-parties.html

extend.... wtf?

Don’t get so caught up in semantics. Something can be extend indefinitely.

i understand why they didn't want to shutdown the government in December, just imagine if you're a federal employee and you get furloughed right before the holidays?

they have maximum leverage in January, collision course baby!

The good thing is they rolled all the issues over. Democrats have cover by insisting on CHIP, Dream Act, CSRs, opioid funding, a better disaster relief bill, and pensions.

Also, I think the democrats want the republicans to fall short on votes in the house, where they absolutely do not need democrats votes. If the plan is still a 2 year spending bill, then the FC is going to have some unreasonable demands, they’ll balk at the increase in domestic spending. Even then though, democrats can not kick the can down again. They will lose any momentum they had heading into 2018. The outrage has been intense. January! The final stand!

Mark my words...a Dream Act/DACA bipartisan bill will be voted on in the Senate as soon as there's sufficient support from both sides.

The vote tally will be 65-75 in favor.

I'm convinced based on what I've read that Speaker Ryan will allow a vote on the Senate Bill Or allow it's chamber to pass something and then go to conference.

Trump will sign whatever passes Congress since his legislative liasion/point of contact person is involved in DACA talks with the bipartisan Senate group trying to find a deal.

I'll come up with a list of potential supporters sosometime soon. Let's stay positive! We will finally be codified into law.

I'm so sure of this!

Well yea but you left out the when part.

There's the catch. Could be 20 years from now.