Senate rejects measures to lower everyday prices

Zachary Schermele

USA TODAY

WASHINGTON – In a flurry of rapid-fire votes, most Senate Republicans spurned a group of measures Democrats said would lower everyday costs for Americans, while separately moving to approve billions of dollars for immigration enforcement.

In the early hours of April 23, Democrats tried unsuccessfully to attach a series of amendments to a federal budget blueprint. Their legislation, they said, would have ultimately brought down rates for gas, groceries, health care and school meals by creating reserve funds, blocking future price-hiking bills and reversing food stamp cuts.

GOP lawmakers accused their counterparts of orchestrating a political stunt and said they were prolonging the record-long shutdown of the Department of Homeland Security.

The so-called 'vote-a-rama' was one of the most significant, though futile, pieces of political leverage at Democrats’ disposal in a monthslong fight over immigration enforcement following the killings of two Minnesotans by federal officers in January.

Though the measures failed to move forward, they represented some politically tough votes for members of the opposing party, especially during a consequential midterm election year that could swing control of Congress to Democrats in November.

Notably, two Republicans facing reelection in purple states – Sens. Susan Collins of Maine and Dan Sullivan of Alaska – threw their support behind efforts to curb out-of-pocket medical expenses and grocery prices.

'Democrats are standing up for the American people,' Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-New York, said on the Senate floor.

At the same time, the GOP successfully cleared a key hurdle toward fully funding DHS again – while also directing more money to Immigration and Customs Enforcement and Border Patrol, both top priorities for Republicans. President Donald Trump had urged them to do so, saying on social media April 21, 'Republicans must stick together and UNIFY to get this done.'

'Why are we here? Our Democratic colleagues have refused to provide funding for the Border Patrol and ICE at a time of great threat to our country,' said Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-South Carolina, the chair of the Senate Budget Committee. 'We tried to have some reforms, but you refused.'

The $70billion plan would fund the agencies for three years.

It remained unclear exactly when Congress could move toward completely ending the DHS shutdown, which has dragged on for more than two months.

Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin warned April 21 on 'Fox & Friends' that Trump’s directives to reroute money to pay DHS employees, including airport security workers, would run out of funds by the start of May.

'I’ve got one payroll left and there [are] no more emergency funds, so the president can’t do another executive order because there’s no more money there,' he said.

The Senate has passed legislation to fund DHS operations other than ICE and Border Patrol. But the measure stalled in the House, where hard-line Republicans have demanded funding for those two agencies as well.

Contributing: Reuters

In the early hours of April 23, Democrats tried unsuccessfully to attach a series of amendments to a federal budget blueprint.

Kylie Cooper/REUTERS