Trump’s newest pledge has Democrats cheering — and Republicans squirming
President Donald Trump’s pledge to cease signing payments till the Senate passes a hard-line voter-ID measure is already inflicting heartburn for Republicans, with GOP senators warning {that a} standoff may freeze the president’s personal agenda.
Democrats, nonetheless, have a unique response to Trump’s menace to carry up all laws: Don’t threaten us with a very good time!
“If the president is refusing to pass his own agenda, given his agenda, that’s probably a good thing,” Sen. Raphael Warnock, D-Ga., instructed reporters Monday.
Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., shortly embraced Trump’s menace, after the president posted Sunday morning that he would not signal any payments till a beefed-up model of the SAVE America Act — “NOT THE WATERED DOWN VERSION,” Trump wrote — turns into legislation.
“If Trump is saying he won’t sign any bills until the SAVE Act is passed, then so be it: there will be total gridlock in the Senate,” Schumer posted on Sunday morning.
“Senate Democrats will not help pass the SAVE Act under any circumstances,” Schumer wrote, calling the invoice “Jim Crow 2.0” and saying it will disenfranchise tens of thousands and thousands of individuals.
Trump has repeatedly stated he’ll refuse to signal any extra payments into legislation till lawmakers ship him the SAVE America Act, a measure that will — among other things — require proof of citizenship to register to vote and finish most types of mail-in voting.
It’s simply the newest strain tactic to go the invoice, as Republican senators confront the truth that they both want a handful of Democrats to assist the measure to clear the Senate’s 60-vote threshold — or they should change the principles of the Senate to successfully kill the filibuster.
But Republicans have not even secured unanimous assist from the 53 GOP senators — Sen. Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska, said last month she opposes the measure — not to mention a easy majority to alter how the Senate operates.
Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R.S.D., has stated there’s not sufficient assist to pressure a “talking filibuster,” which might require opponents to face on the ground and preserve speaking when members inevitably fail to succeed in the 60-vote threshold to finish debate. Such a transfer would halt progress on different votes — like nominations, a housing invoice and a measure to fund the Department of Homeland Security, which has been shut down for greater than three weeks.
Trump’s pledge to cease signing payments affords one other probability to cease the president’s legislative agenda — and Democrats are cheerfully welcoming his stand.
“I guess he’s not going to be signing many more bills,” Sen. Angus King, I-Maine, instructed MS NOW on Monday.
Trump’s menace went past the usual Republican-backed voter-ID requirement.
“I, as President, will not sign other Bills until this is passed,” he wrote on Truth Social on Sunday. “AND NOT THE WATERED DOWN VERSION – GO FOR THE GOLD: MUST SHOW VOTER ID & PROOF OF CITIZENSHIP: NO MAIL-IN BALLOTS EXCEPT FOR MILITARY – ILLNESS, DISABILITY, TRAVEL: NO MEN IN WOMEN’S SPORTS: NO TRANSGENDER MUTILIZATION FOR CHILDREN! DO NOT FAIL!!!”
Republicans hope there are exceptions to Trump’s new rule. Thune instructed reporters he believes Trump has “modified it with respect to DHS,” suggesting the president would signal laws to finish the division’s shutdown.
On Monday, The Washington Examiner quoted an unnamed White House official who stated Trump would signal a DHS funding invoice into legislation. But Trump himself hasn’t backed down in any respect.
“I’m not going to sign anything until this is approved,” Trump instructed reporters Monday night in Florida. “I really love.”
Even if Trump has no plans to comply with by way of on his pledge, his rhetoric may complicate the GOP’s argument that Democrats are accountable for the DHS shutdown.
Thune, citing the DHS funding invoice and a bipartisan housing invoice, stated he hopes Trump will not truly block any laws.
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“I know he’s passionate about the SAVE America Act, and I think that his statement was an expression of that,” Thune instructed reporters on Monday. “But I hope, at the end of the day, that if we can move things across the floor here and actually put legislation on his desk, that he’ll find his way to sign.”
Other Republicans have been divided on the all-or-nothing ways.
Sen. Rick Scott, R-Fla., stated he agrees with Trump, banking on an exception for DHS.
“Most important thing to do — other than the Homeland Security funding,” Scott instructed reporters Monday.
Sen. Thom Tillis, RN.C., stated he nonetheless thinks the thought of a speaking filibuster is a nasty one, saying it may “be several weeks long,” together with a limiteless variety of amendments.
Other Democrats have been bemused by Trump’s menace, saying he most likely doesn’t suggest it.
“It’s just a temper tantrum,” Sen. Andy Kim, DN.J., instructed MS NOW on Monday. “You know, I’ve seen him kind of do this kind of stuff before. I don’t know what he’s actually trying to do in terms of pressure. They just don’t have the votes for the SAVE America Act.”
Sen. Ron Wyden, D-Ore., stated Trump’s menace is a part of a broader plan to get rid of vote-by-mail, which is the usual in Wyden’s dwelling state.
“It shows how passionate his commitment to unraveling the rights of law-abiding Americans is,” Wyden instructed MS NOW on Monday.
Sen. Richard Blumenthal, D-Conn., stated the menace “hardly leads to successful negotiations” on DHS funding.
“Part of his job is to sign bills that have been passed by Congress,” Blumenthal instructed reporters Monday. “He can’t hold hostage legislation that creates more housing or provides for law enforcement when the health and safety of Americans is at stake, just on the personal whim that he wants something else done.”
Kevin Frey contributed to this report.
