"WASHINGTON (AP) -- President Donald Trump briskly overruled congressional Republicans and his own treasury secretary Wednesday to cut a deal with Democrats to keep the government operating and raise America's debt limit. The immediate goal was ensuring money for hurricane relief, but in the process the president brazenly rolled his own party's leaders.
In deal-making mode, Trump sided with the Democratic leaders - "Chuck and Nancy," as he amiably referred later to Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer and House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi - as they pushed for the three-month deal, brushing aside the urgings of GOP leaders and Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin for a much longer extension to the debt limit. Republicans want that longer allowance to avoid having to take another vote on the politically toxic issue before the 2018 congressional elections."
News from The Associated Press
This is absolutely hilarious. Here we had the leaders of both parties in the room. Republicans wanted an 18 month break from having to raise the debt ceiling again. Meaning they would raise it now, along with funding for Hurricane Harvey and not have to deal with the debt ceiling again for another 18 months. This would give them time to work on their agenda, of tax cuts and other legislation, before the debt ceiling issue came up again. And of course they wanted to avoid having to raise the debt ceiling during the mid term election cycle in 2018.
Trump agreed with Republicans one hour before they went into the Oval office. He was supposed to stand on the 18 month deal on the debt ceiling. Chuck Schummer and Nancy Pelosi walk in the door, and he goes with their first offer of a 3 month debt ceiling and relief for Hurricance Harvey.
Then he goes to North Dakota, and braggs to them about the great deal he made with "Chuck & Nancy."
Trump was supposed to be the GREAT Negotiater--& he sided with Democrats on their first offer. Usually negotiation on this will take about 3 weeks. What this does is trash the Republican agenda. Tax cuts, etc. etc. Imagine you have Republicans in the house and Senate who have been working on legislation that they want to get approved, and Trump just took the legs right out from under them.
I suppose that Trump is getting a little tired of dealing with congress right now, and probably wanted to get back down to Mar a Lago as quickly as he could--and just thought screw it, Republicans never agree on anything, & I am not going to spend the next 3 weeks working between Republicans & Democrats on the timelimit on the debt ceiling, so I'll just go with the Democrats on this.
It really doesn't get any better than this--
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Anyway--it shocked everyone, Chuck Schumer, Nancy Pelosi--and Paul Ryan and Mitch McConnell are in a state of shock right now, and really pissed.
