Lisa Desjardins:
Judy, we’ve had some stormy days this week and plenty of different weeks. However I’m right here to report, in the previous couple of minutes, a rainbow could also be forming above the USA Senate.
In simply the previous jiffy, I’ve a number of sources telling me that it seems like there’s a deal to get previous the issues in that physique. Let me first again up at the place — what we all know, OK? Let’s speak about what this short-term funding deal would do.
Initially, we’re speaking a few persevering with decision, that form of paradoxically named funding invoice that the Home voted on simply within the final couple of hours. That might prolong funding for the U.S. authorities by way of February 18.
Now, in it, additionally, I wish to point out is $7 billion, importantly, for Afghan refugees who’ve been dropped at this nation after the U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan.
Now, the difficulty, as you stated, there have been — there is a group of Senate Republicans who’ve been blocking the fast-tracking of this invoice. Now, these Senate Republicans object to it — are attempting to push one specific difficulty, the difficulty of vaccine mandates, which they oppose.
We’re speaking about just a few members. Senator Mike Lee of Utah is one in every of them. He would love the Senate to go a invoice banning any funding of vaccine mandates. He thinks the federal government shouldn’t be in that enterprise. With him, Senator Roger Marshall, a freshman senator. These two have the facility to delay any funding invoice lengthy sufficient to trigger a funding shut — a authorities shutdown not less than into subsequent week.
Nevertheless, up to now jiffy, I perceive that there’s an rising deal, Senator Marshall has confirmed. And I’ve sources in each events and in each chambers saying that there could possibly be a vote now tonight, as a result of they’re giving Senator Lee what he needs, a vote on his concept on opposition to vaccine mandates.
Why would Senate Democrats do this? As a result of it is more likely to fail. There’s difficult the reason why, together with an absence from one Republican senator. However, proper now, it seems like Senator Lee will get a vote tonight that he needs, after which this decision to maintain authorities funding might undergo the Senate and be handed as quickly as tonight.