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Democrat-backed plan to reopen government falls short in Senate

The measure would have reopened government temporarily through Feb. 8

Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., speaks during the Senate Democrats' press conference to reintroduce a resolution to defend pre-existing condition protections in the Capitol on Tuesday, Jan. 15, 2019. (Bill Clark/CQ Roll Call)
Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., speaks during the Senate Democrats' press conference to reintroduce a resolution to defend pre-existing condition protections in the Capitol on Tuesday, Jan. 15, 2019. (Bill Clark/CQ Roll Call)

The Senate defeated 52-44 through a procedural vote a measure offered by Sen. Minority Leader Charles E. Schumer, D-N.Y, that would have reopened government temporarily through Feb. 8.

Schumer’s measure, which was an amendment to an overall spending bill, fell short of the 60 votes required to advance. The spending bill passed the House last week.

The vote was taken while a group of Democratic House members, including Barbara Lee, D-Calif., John Lewis, D-Ga., Abigail Spanberger, D-Va., and Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y., watched. They had marched over from the lower chamber before the vote began. 

More than halfway through the voting, Sen. Roy Blunt, a senior Republican appropriator crossed the aisle to talk to House Appropriations Chairwoman Nita Lowey. He also chatted briefly with a few other Democratic House members.

The measure, which included additional money for disaster assistance, omitted President Donald Trump’s latest immigration plan and the $5.7 billion in emergency spending he wants for the border wall and security.

With the vote, the Senate rejected both attempts from Republicans and Democrats to reopen government.

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