Sen. Mitch McConnell Sets the Record Straight on the #SchumerShutdown. Dems Shut Govt. Over DACA Yet Present NO BILL to Vote On. It's a Political Stunt!

But once again, Dems show they put illegal aliens above the rights of American citizens!

Saturday evening Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) said this on the Senate floor:

SEN. MCCONNELL: [T]his bipartisan bill does what we need to do right now: it ends this pointless, irresponsible shutdown, funds the government for our troops, our veterans, and millions of vulnerable Americans, and extends health coverage for millions of children in low-income families.

“None of my colleagues on the other side of the aisle can point to a single thing in it that they oppose. That is why a bipartisan majority voted for it last night. It would have passed smoothly and been sent on for the president’s signature. Except that the Democratic Leader took the extraordinary step of filibustering this bipartisan bill and initiating his very own government shutdown.

“Why? Because, he explains, the president would not give him everything he wants on the issue of illegal immigration in one afternoon in the Oval Office. That’s it? Leaders from both parties have spent months negotiating long-term fixes for immigration policy, government spending, and other important priorities. Senators on both sides want a bipartisan solution to DACA and other immigration issues. Senators on both sides want long-term funding for our troops. Bipartisan, bicameral negotiations on these matters have been underway for months.

“Here’s the difference between the Democratic Leader and the rest of us tonight: he wants to keep the government shut down for hundreds of millions of Americans until we finish negotiating on illegal immigration. We believe that we can continue these discussions – without shutting down funding for our veterans, military families, opioid centers or anyone else who relies on the federal government over the issue of illegal immigration.

“Well, the American people know what’s going on here. A survey this week shows that a majority of Americans say funding the government is more important than passing legislation on DACA – legislation, by the way, that does not exist and which the Democratic Leader cannot present to us. Fewer than half of Democrats say that dealing with DACA is more urgent than keeping the government open.

“And these numbers came in before Americans picked up their newspapers this morning. When they did, they read from the Associated Press exactly who is responsible for this chaos. From the AP, ‘Democrats blocked a four-week stopgap extension in a late-night vote, causing the fourth government shutdown in a quarter-century.’ You might say they pinned the tail on the donkey. The New York Times, not exactly a right-wing institution, likewise put the blame where it belongs. Quote, ‘Senate Democrats blocked passage of a stopgap spending bill to keep the government open.’

Democrats don't even have a bill for the DACA fix they demand yet they are willing to hold the entire government hostage until they get one. Meanwhile, CHILDREN who depend on the now expired CHIP health insurance program may soon go without care. All that for a stunt so Democrats may be seen to side with illegal aliens over American citizens. Let's not forget this in November!

One year into the Trump presidency, Democrats can't shut down the booming Trump economy so they shut down the government instead. This is the behavior of obstructionist losers, not legislators. Do your job Democrats: fund our military and reopen our government #SchumerShutdown

— Sarah Sanders (@PressSec) January 20, 2018