Democrats Shutdown Government for Illegal Immigrants

On Friday the Democrats in Congress put the interests of illegal immigrants and their personal political ambitions ahead of those of the American people, allowing the Federal Government to shutdown. The House of Representatives passed a short-term spending bill that would have avoided a government shutdown but it failed in the Senate where only five democrats supported it.  The bill that failed would have funded the government through Feb. 16 and reauthorized the popular Children's Health Insurance Program for six years.

The Senate bill needed 60 votes to pass.  With 50 Republicans present, the GOP would need 10 or more Democrats to support the bill for it to pass. In the end, five Democrats; Joe Manchin of West Virginia, Joe Donnelly of Indiana, Heidi Heitkamp of North Dakota, Doug Jones of Alabama and Claire McCaskill of Missouri supported the bill. Four Republicans; Lindsey Graham of South Carolina, Jeff Flake of Arizona, Rand Paul of Kentucky and Mike Lee of Utah — opposed it. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell also did not support it for "procedural reasons".

Many Democrats opposed the bill because it did not include a provision shielding illegal immigrants, so-called "Dreamers", from deportation.  As it's been well-documented that the vast majority of illegal immigrants vote Democratic, one has to wonder when the Democrats will put the dreams of the American people and their families ahead of their own personal political ambition to be elected and re-elected in perpetuity.