The Senate voted late Thursday to start work on legislation to fund the government until Feb. 16, which passed the House just hours earlier.
“We want to move forward, we want to do something,” Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., said before the vote.
But it might be all they agree on. Republicans are hoping to approve the bill that would avoid a partial government shutdown and extend a popular children’s health program for six years.
Democrats, in contrast, are furious that there’s no language in the bill to protect Dreamers, and have said they are unified in opposing the bill in its current form. Republicans, meanwhile, say the Democrats are a big reason why there’s nothing on immigration in the bill — the GOP wants money for a border wall and other reforms, which Democrats reject.
Still, Schumer said Democrats would agree to start work on the bill, in the hopes of agreeing to a spending extension of about five days.
Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., did not agree to the request, raising the prospects of a failed vote on the bill later tonight, and the rising chance of a partial shutdown after Friday.
