Thursday was a busy day for the United States Senate as it turned down two funding bills, including the bill fully backed by U.S. President Donald Trump for the southern border wall.
One of the resolutions that got rejected on the 34th day of the U.S. government's partial shutdown was legislation presented by Democrats. According to Business Insider, the bill aimed to extend 2018's federal budget.
The second bill that got knocked out by the U.S. Senate is one that Trump has shown full support for. Reports of the bill's rejection have since become a reason for debate among analysts.
The Republican bill that included funding for Trump's much-debated southern border wall didn't come up with the necessary 60 votes for the legislation's advancement. The bill also seeks to have the government reopen.
Democrats have criticized the Republican bill, stating that the legislation was not a sincere attempt to have the government open its doors again. It is worth noting that the bill in question included a number of restrictions against immigrants.
Among a couple of restrictions, the most notable one is the eligibility factor. If the bill advanced into law, the U.S. government will reduce the number of minor people who are eligible for obtaining a protected status for a limited time. The would-be law will also require minor asylum seekers appearing at the border to be deported back to their home countries.
Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer said before making his vote, "No one - no one - can call this a new effort at compromise."
There are currently nine sectors of the U.S. government that were shut down in December amid President Trump's attempts to have his $5.7 billion border wall funded. It is the longest standing shutdown in the history of governments across the world.
CNBC noted that around 800,000 federal workers have already missed their second paychecks because of the shutdown. The outlet added that both the Democratic and Republican parties have not shown any signs of backing down on the fight.
Trump has reiterated that he will only agree to government funding if his wall proposal gets approved. Congress has negotiated with the White House over the past weeks to settle on a less invasive immigration deal.
For Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., the U.S. Senate will "find a way forward to produce a bill that he would sign that would be good for everybody in the country." However, only a three-week continuing resolution has been put on the table so far.
