Senate Leaders reach an agreement that opens the way for the reopening of the government



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WASHINGTON – Republicans and Democrats in the Senate presented Tuesday the first glimmers of a potential resolution to the government's partial closure for five weeks, providing for procedural votes on President Trump's proposal to spend 5.7 Billion dollars for a border wall and a competitor bill to finance the government until February 8.

The Senate's plan to consider the duel proposals reflects the first bipartisan action taken since the end of legislation that could end the stalemate, thus offering each party the opportunity to to put forward his proposal. But the gesture of Senators Mitch McConnell of Kentucky, leader of the majority, and Chuck Schumer of New York, of the Democratic party, is far from being a guarantee of breaking the impasse.

With most Republicans united behind Mr. Trump's claims. to reopen the government, it takes money for a border wall and most Democrats opposed to the link, neither of the two measures attracting the 60 votes needed to move forward.

"People say, is not it possible to get out of this mess? Could not we ease the burden on the 800,000 unpaid federal employees? Is there no way to open government services first and discuss what we should do later on border security? Said Schumer to the Senate on Tuesday after McConnell announced the vote. "Well, now there is a way. if both fail, as expected, the votes could encourage both parties to negotiate a bipartite compromise. With the closure being in its fifth week and 800,000 federal officials facing the loss of a second pay check on Friday, the pressure is mounting for political parties to reopen the government. Trump's proposal, which he promoted on Saturday in a televised speech as a bipartisan compromise to combine wall funding and temporary legal protections for some immigrants, is on the brink of death, after White House officials privately conceded on Tuesday that they had added controversial proposals to an anathema Democrats that would prevent many migrants from seeking asylum.

Republican legislation, released Monday night, would provide funding of $ 5.7 billion and a sharp increase in spending on the detention and removal of immigrants, as well as a temporary protection of 700 000 people over three years. young undocumented immigrants known as Dreamers, and about 325,000 immigrants, mostly from Latin America and Haiti who live in the United States under temporary protection status.

"The opportunity to end all of this looks right at our face" Mr. McConnell said Tuesday calling the president's proposal "comprehensive and bipartisan proposal."

"It's all about of a firm proposal, it is the only thing on the agenda and we will vote later this week, "he added.

But the measure also included several amendments asylum legislation that would make it more difficult for people to seek refuge from persecution and violence in their country of origin, including provisions prohibiting children from Central America to claim status in the United States, forcing them to do so in their own country and allowing for early removal to their own country Another review would create a host of new grounds for considering an asylum claim as "frivolous ", including if the migrant seeking protection was also seeking a work permit, had used a fraudulent document – knowingly or unconsciously – or had not been filed on time

M. Schumer rejected the plan in order not to forge a compromise, but to dismiss the president's responsibility on the stalemate, calling the asylum changes a "poison pill".

"The president's proposal is one-sided, extremely partisan and made in bad faith," said Schumer, adding that the measure "was not a compromise;

A senior official of the The administration, which insisted that anonymity describe the internal deliberations, said Tuesday that the provisions had been added at the request of the Department of Homeland Security as soon as it became clear that the Democrats were going to be safe. Opposing Mr. Trump's original proposal

At the same time, Mr. Trump and President Nancy Pelosi remained in a private standoff over the question of whether he should be allowed to deliver his speech on the subject. 39, State of the Union next week, thus highlighting the bitter division that fuels the division.

A White House official wrote to security officials on Capitol Hill late Sunday to ask for a Guided tour Monday to prepare the speech, as part of what two collaborators have described as an attempt to put pressure on Ms. Pelosi for her to broadcast Mr. Trump. a formal invitation. But Monday was a federal holiday and the meeting never took place.

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