House Speaker Paul Ryan again charged Senate Democrats for keeping the government shutdown, but added he is optimistic the Senate can pass a bill Sunday that is agreed upon by the House.
“We are still in shutdown. We are waiting for the Senate Democrats to open the government back up,” the Wisconsin Republican said on CBS’ “Face the Nation” Sunday morning. “This is solely done by the Senate Democrats.”
When asked if there is agreement on legislation in sight to resume funding of the federal government, Ryan seemed hopeful.
“What [Senate Majority] Leader [Mitch McConnell is going to offer is one that has a different date on it,” Ryan explained. “He is going to bring up a bill keeping funded to Feb. 8, and we’ve agreed that we’re going to accept that in the House. So, we will see sometime today whether or not they have the votes for that.”
Late Saturday, McConnell said a vote to break the Democratic filibuster on the short-term spending bill would happen by 1 a.m. Monday.
“Earlier today, I asked for consent to move up a vote on this bipartisan solution and end this craziness today,” McConnell said from the Senate floor late Saturday. “The Democrats objected. That won’t work forever. If they continue to object, we cannot proceed to a cloture vote until 1 a.m. on Monday.”
That cloture vote would end debate on the Feb. 8 measure, but it will still need 60 votes to pass.
Ryan added Republicans were “negotiating in good faith” on a way to protect recipients of the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program and Democrats “blew up the negotiations that were underway.”
