What the Senate is voting on right this moment
The Senate shouldn’t be at present scheduled to vote on the Home-passed measure to reopen the federal government right this moment.
The Senate convenes at 10 a.m. with a procedural vote on a measure to rollback a Biden administration rule on the Nationwide Petroleum Reserve in Alaska, together with a vote on a judicial affirmation, in keeping with Majority Whip John Barrasso’s workplace.
At 2:15 p.m., the Senate will vote on reversing a rule on the barred owl administration technique in Western states.
The discover suggested that “additional roll name votes are anticipated throughout Wednesday’s session of the Senate.”
Agriculture secretary says Trump admin. cannot transfer cash round to fund SNAP: “We’re attempting to comply with the legislation right here”
Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins instructed CBS Information on Tuesday that the Trump administration would not have the authorized authority to maintain meals help flowing throughout the federal government shutdown, because the federal program that helps greater than 40 million Individuals pay for groceries is ready to halt funds on Saturday.
Rollins pushed again on calls to maintain the Supplemental Diet Help Program, or SNAP, funded by tapping a $5 billion contingency fund, arguing the administration would not have the authorized authority to make use of that cash. She additionally famous that it will price about $9.2 billion to totally fund SNAP subsequent month.
“We’re attempting to comply with the legislation right here,” she instructed CBS Information senior White Home correspondent Ed O’Keefe on “The Takeout.” “We have used Band-Help and duct tape all alongside this complete final month. And, and as we have mentioned, it is not going to be there on November 1st.”
Pressed on why the administration hasn’t sought cash from different sources, provided that it has saved paying members of the navy and FBI personnel, Rollins famous that the cash for navy pay is partially coming from a personal donor.
The administration’s place has drawn stiff pushback from Democrats, who’ve urged the Division of Agriculture to attract down its emergency contingency funding.
Rollins responded by urgent Democrats to vote to reopen the federal government.
“I discover it extraordinarily wealthy that individuals would say that President Trump or our administration is enjoying politics with individuals’s starvation,” Rollins mentioned.
World Central Kitchen opens second location to move out meals to federal employees
World Central Kitchen, the nonprofit group based by celeb chef José Andrés, is feeding furloughed federal employees in Washington, D.C., through the shutdown, with scorching lunch till the stalemate ends. On Wednesday, they are going to open a second distribution at Navy Memorial Plaza, along with the Washington Canal Park location. Each will function from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m.
Senate GOP casts doubt on one-off payments to pay employees, fund packages, whereas Democrats make SNAP push
Senate Majority Chief John Thune poured chilly water on the trouble to up particular person payments to pay sure teams of federal employees or fund packages like SNAP through the shutdown on Tuesday, as Democrats introduced they might introduce laws to fund the meals support program.
“This piecemeal strategy, the place you do one-off right here, one-off there to make it appear extra politically palatable to anyone or much less painful, that is simply the incorrect means to do that,” Thune mentioned, urging that the easy approach to resolve the difficulty is to approve the Home-passed measure to fund the federal government till Nov. 21.
Moments later, Senate Minority Chief Chuck Schumer introduced Senate Democrats would introduce a invoice to fund SNAP, after the Division of Agriculture mentioned federal meals support won’t exit on Nov. 1. He additionally mentioned the invoice would guarantee funding for the Girls, Infants and Youngsters program, referred to as WIC.
The New York Democrat mentioned the measure will get “broad, if not common help” amongst Democrats. However whether or not it will come up for a vote or earn help from Republicans remained unclear.
The developments on narrower payments to pay employees or fund packages come because the Republican effort to advance a Home-passed measure to reopen the federal government has fallen in need of the 60 votes wanted 13 occasions. Regardless of their effort to realize new help from Democrats, the invoice has picked up no new help since earlier than the shutdown started.
