Daily Digest: Shutdown over
Good morning, and happy Tuesday. Here's the Digest:
1. Minnesota's two senators voted along with more than 60 others to stop blocking a short-term funding measure for the federal government. DFL Sen. Amy Klobuchar said Republican colleagues committed to working on an immigration fix as part of a deal to reopen the government. Klobuchar was involved in reaching Monday‘s agreement to end a government shutdown. In turn, the Senate will soon consider a bill that would prevent deportation of people who came to America as children with parents who lacked legal immigration status. "What we got was a commitment from a number of Republicans with us that they would work with us on a bill. And that is what will move us forward, got us out of the shutdown, allowed the children's health insurance to be in place for six years, which affected thousands of Minnesotans and also put us on a path forward to Dreamers that we didn't have before." Republican members of the state's delegation were highly critical of the shutdown tactic. (MPR News)
2. The vote prompted a liberal backlash. Liberal immigration supporters are furious at Klobuchar and Smith for favoring a short-term federal budget deal that doesn't guarantee a DACA fix. Denver retiree Rebecca Gray wrote on social media: "Amy Klobuchar, you have all the signs of treason. "St. Paul immigration lawyer Kara Lynum tweeted to Smith: "I was at your press conference where you said you support Minnesota's dreamers. You lied to all of our faces—even after hearing their moving stories." (Duluth News Tribune)
3. Republicans (and some Democrats) were quick to say Democrats caved. Republicans tried to make Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer the face of the government shutdown. Now, he's becoming the face of the Democratic retreat. Schumer quickly became a punching bag for the right and left. "It's official: Chuck Schumer is the worst negotiator in Washington — even worse than Trump," said Murshed Zaheed, political director for the liberal group CREDO. "Schumer caved," tweeted former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee, an ally to President Donald Trump. He added, "Lessons learned — Schumer burned." (AP)
4. So what's in the deal? The deal has three basic components: 1. Short-term funding for the government through Feb. 8. The Republicans had been insisting on longer, at least a month. 2. The long-delayed, six-year renewal of a popular health insurance program for children in low-income families. The program known as CHIP became an unshakeable pillar for the Republicans throughout the budget drama, and Democrats were hard-pressed to reject such a universally accepted plan. 3. Delays to three taxes under the Obama-era health care law: the medical device tax through 2019, the so-called Cadillac tax on generous employer-paid health care plans through 2021; and a tax on health insurance companies through 2019. (AP)
5. Abortion opponents laid out their Minnesota legislative agenda Monday. Harsh weather forced organizers to move their annual March for Life indoors. The event marks the anniversary of the 1973 U.S. Supreme Court decision that legalized abortion. The group Minnesota Citizens Concerned for Life is backing a proposal for the 2018 session that would allow women to see ultrasounds of their unborn children before abortions are performed. An MCCL spokesman described the bill as a “modest” and “mainstream” way to help women make informed decisions. He said the group was still seeking legislative authors. (MPR News)
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