“We have gathered the largest bipartisan group ever to find a way to end the government shutdown.”
With those words Monday, Senator Dick Durbin addressed the Senate and added, “To the Dreamers … don’t give up!”
Earlier in the morning, Senator Susan Collins had told an impromptu press gaggle in the hallway on Capitol Hill that she was feeling very encouraged with progress. Flanked by Sen. Jeff Flake and Sen. Lindsay Graham, she said 25 senators — mostly those from the middle of their parties — had been meeting over the weekend in her office, a bipartisan group working to come to an agreement to prevent the 2018 federal shutdown from entering a Day 4.
The Washington Post [1] reported:
Democrats and independents emerging from a closed-door meeting said they would vote to end a filibuster, clearing the way for passage of the legislation that would keep the government open through Feb. 8.
Sen. Angus King (I-Maine) and Sen. Bill Nelson (D-Fla.) said they would vote with the Republicans.
The House was expected to back the measure later in the day.
Voting is taking place.
UPDATE 1:00pm: Senate vote to reopen federal government: Yay 81, Nay 18.
Now the spinning and finger-pointing begins on both sides.