US Senate plans to hold vote on Democrat proposal
Two proposals set for vote in Senate almost certain to fail
WASHINGTON: There was no sign of relief for 800,000 federal workers going without pay because of the partial government shutdown, as the US Senate scheduled votes on competing proposals to end the month-long impasse.
Republican Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell said he planned to hold a vote today on a Democrat proposal that would fund the government for three weeks but does not include the US$5.7 billion (S$7.7 b) in border wall funding demanded by President Donald Trump.
Its prospects appeared grim.
The House of Representatives has passed several similar bills, but Mr Trump has rejected legislation that does not include border wall funding.
DREAMERS
Mr McConnell previously said he would not consider a bill the Republican president refused to sign.
Mr McConnell also planned to vote on legislation that would include border wall funding and relief for "Dreamers", people brought illegally to the US as children, a compromise Mr Trump proposed on Saturday.
Democratic leaders have dismissed the deal as a"non-starter" and said they would not negotiate on border security before reopening government.
They have also said they would not trade a temporary restoration of the immigrants' protections from deportation in return for a permanent border wall they view as ineffective.
In 2017, Mr Trump moved to end the Dreamers' protections, triggering a court battle.
Yet Mr Trump appeared to lose that bargaining chip after the US Supreme Court on Tuesday declined to consider his administration's appeal of lower-court rulings that allowed for Dreamers' continued protections.
The hundreds of thousands of federal workers who are furloughed or working without pay are struggling to make ends meet as the shutdown, the longest in US history, entered its 33rd day yesterday. - REUTERS
FOR MORE, SEE: Building Trump's wall will be a political disaster - for him
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