The Senate voted to reopen the government today. The list of Democrats who voted against the measure reads like a who’s who of Democratic presidential hopefuls for 2020.
Senator Cory Booker released a statement prior to the vote that read, “President Trump and Congressional Republicans said they wanted a DACA solution that would provide relief to the hundreds of thousands of DREAMers who are Americans in every sense of the word except for a piece of paper. There’s a bipartisan solution on the table – it’s supported by Republicans, by Democrats, and by most Americans. But instead of putting that solution forward for a vote, the President and Republican leaders have chosen to use DREAMers as political pawns. I refuse to let that happen.” Booker opposed the bill.
California’s Senator Kamala Harris wrote on Twitter that the White House and the GOP contributed to creating the crisis. “We must pass a bipartisan solution to fund the government, guarantee health care for millions of kids & protect Dreamers. Americans expect & deserve it,” Harris also voted against the bill.
New York’s Kirsten Gillibrand and Vermont’s Bernie Sanders echoed similar sentiments:
I am deeply disappointed that today’s outcome fails to protect Dreamers. They deserve better from the elected leaders of the only country many of them have ever called home.
— Kirsten Gillibrand (@SenGillibrand) January 22, 2018
We asked Republicans to pass a budget that would protect the needs of working families. They preferred to shut down the government instead.
— Bernie Sanders (@SenSanders) January 21, 2018
The Senate voted 81-18 in favor of reopening the government. The White House said earlier it expects the federal government to be fully operational tomorrow morning.
Many Democrats consider immigration, and especially DACA a litmus test issue. In all, 16 Democrats voted against the bill reopening the government. Two Republicans, Sens. Rand Paul (R-KY) and Mike Lee (R-UT) voted against it as well.
Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell has pledged to put votes on the floor in the coming weeks that will address DACA among other key issues Democrats have sought votes on, in exchange for Democrats votes in favor of reopening the government.