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Dems sour on shutdown tactics | TheHill

posted onJanuary 24, 2018
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Article snippet: Senate Democrats say there’s no appetite in their caucus for forcing another government shutdown if Republicans refuse to agree to an immigration deal by a March 5 deadline. Democratic senators who are mulling presidential bids in 2020 haven’t yet entirely backed away from shutdown threats, which could help them rev up support among the party base, but other Democrats have soured on it as a tactic. Senate Democratic Whip MORE (R-Ky.) stall next month. “We’re not talking in those terms. We’re talking in positive terms,” Durbin said. “Moving forward with the promised procedure from Sen. McConnell.”   A third Democratic senator said, “My instinct is a shutdown is off the table.” “Shutdowns don’t work,” the lawmaker added. Democrats didn’t come away entirely empty-handed from the three-day shutdown that furloughed hundreds of thousands of government workers. They extracted a promise from McConnell to debate immigration legislation on a “level playing field” if leaders don’t reach a deal to protect “Dreamers” from deportation by Feb. 8.  Dreamers — certain immigrants who came to the country as minors — now face deportation because MORE rescinded the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program in September. The president gave Congress a March 5 deadline to replace the program. Democrats already see troubling signs that Senate Republicans may insist on big concessions in return for allowing an immigration bill to pass next month. They’re also worried about wh... Link to the full article to read more

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