Well, he’s been a pain in the rear end for months. He’s been a thorn in his party’s side during the Brett Kavanaugh Supreme Court nomination. Even as the GOP tries to confirm a slate of conservative judges to federal benches, he’s been insufferable. And why? On the latter issue, it was over Senate Republicans’ refusal to pass a bill to protect Special Counsel Robert Mueller from being fired by the president. Yes, Sen. Jeff Flake (R-AZ) has acted like your atypical Never Trump Republican. He has no base of support, no plan, no future, and so he acts like a bull in a china closet. He’s pretty much acted like a Democrat as he prepares to leave the Senate, which cannot come soon enough.
As the government teeters on a shutdown over border security, the House passed a spending bill last night that funded the government and included the $5 billion President Trump has requested for the border wall. As this legislation heads to the Senate, Flake says he will vote no to advance this bill, and if another GOP senator joins him, this continuing resolution could meet a legislative death. So, now it seems that Flake can add being against border security to his list of tantrums. Get lost, man.
Sen Flake Just Votes NO on this motion to proceed to the House-passes bill. That could mean this bill never makes it to the Senate floor at all if attendance is bad or one more republican votes NO.
— Frank Thorp V (@frankthorp) December 21, 2018
Also, @SenBobCorker says he hasn't voted yet, is going to wait until some Senators who are returning to DC get here and assess what the best path forward is.
— Frank Thorp V (@frankthorp) December 21, 2018
NEW— Jeff Flake tells reporters he will vote NO on motion to proceed on new CR.
— Ryan Nobles (@ryanobles) December 21, 2018
And there it is @JeffFlake votes NO on to move forward on the House-passed CR+Wall+Disaster relief
— Phil Mattingly (@Phil_Mattingly) December 21, 2018
President Trump says he’s prepared for a long shutdown, and urged Mitch McConnell to go nuclear if need be to get this bill through (via NBC News):
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President Donald Trump on Friday said the chances of a partial government shutdown were "very good" after meeting with Senate Republicans at the White House.
He called the meeting with GOP lawmakers "great," and said, "Now it's up to the Democrats as to whether or not we have a shutdown tonight."
He earlier warned Senate Democrats that if they don't vote for his border wall, there will be a "very long" government shutdown beginning Friday night. And he pressured Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., to use the "nuclear option," which would end the right to filibuster legislation in the Senate and allow the bill to pass with a simple majority.
The "nuclear option" refers to a last-resort way for the majority party in the Senate to overcome objection by the minority, and it involves using a simple majority of 51 votes rather than 60.
McConnell, speaking on the Senate floor after the meeting with Trump, voiced support for the House-passed bill with the $5 billion in border wall funding and what he called “much-needed investments in disaster relief for hard-hit communities.”
“I support the additional border security and disaster aid that the House added to the bill and I’m proud to vote for it,” he said.
“Let's advance this legislation,” he said, just before the Senate began voting on a motion to proceed. This vote only needs a simple majority, and will start proceedings on the bill, but is not the key vote that requires 60 votes to advance the legislation.
So, grab some whisky, roll in the cots, and brace for impact. We’re probably going to have a government shutdown. Also, this has to be done. The border wall is a key Trump campaign promise. He needs to follow through on it. With Democrats taking over the House in January, this is the best time to get it done, or at least part of it.
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