Trump Puts Republicans In A Bind On The Dhs Shutdown: From The Politics Desk

Welcome to From nan Politics Desk, a regular newsletter that brings you nan NBC News Politics team’s latest reporting and study from nan White House, Capitol Hill and nan run trail.

In today’s edition, Sahil Kapur dives into nan latest disconnect betwixt President Donald Trump and legislature Republicans. Plus, Lawrence Hurley reports connected nan oral arguments successful a Supreme Court lawsuit that could person important midterm implications.

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— Adam Wollner

Trump puts Republicans successful a hindrance connected nan DHS shutdown

Analysis by Sahil Kapur

President Donald Trump rejected an off-ramp to nan Department of Homeland Security shutdown and alternatively called connected legislature Republicans to garbage immoderate woody pinch Democrats unless they work together to walk nan SAVE America Act, his sweeping measure to overhaul elections nationwide.

Trump initially made nan request past nighttime connected Truth Social and doubled down connected it coming successful Memphis.

“You don’t person to return a accelerated vote. Don’t interest astir Easter, going home. In fact, make this 1 for Jesus. OK, make this 1 for Jesus,” Trump said, referring to nan scheduled upcoming legislature recess.

“The astir important portion of homeland information is elector ID and impervious of citizenship,” he added, pointing to 2 of nan main planks of nan SAVE America Act. “Nobody tin ballot connected homeland information without elector ID aliases impervious of citizenship.”

His mentation boils down to pairing 1 measure that Democrats reason (a DHS backing measurement without restrictions connected migration enforcement) pinch different measure that Democrats reason (the SAVE America Act) — and hoping that prompts Democrats to cave and support some items.

Not surprisingly, Trump’s proposition quickly fell level connected Capitol Hill — among some parties.

“I deliberation you each cognize that’s not realistic,” Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., told reporters this day erstwhile asked astir Trump’s strategy to necktie nan 2 bills together.

Sen. Roger Marshall, R-Kan., put it this way: “I work together pinch nan goal, nan objective, but it’s overmuch easier said than done.”

And Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., called nan thought “ridiculous” and “callous,” labeling it a “temper tantrum” by Trump.

“He doesn’t springiness a damn astir nan American people. He cares astir his ain election. He thinks nan SAVE Act, which isn’t going to pass, will alteration really nan predetermination comes out,” Schumer said connected nan floor. “And he uses millions and millions of Americans arsenic hostages. How tin our Republican friends connected nan different broadside of nan aisle spell on pinch this? It stinks connected its face.”

The bottommost line: It takes 60 votes successful nan Senate to walk DHS funding, arsenic good arsenic nan SAVE America Act. Neither 1 has nan votes, and Trump’s gambit has astir apt pushed Congress further distant from statement connected reopening DHS than it was 24 hours ago, erstwhile location was astatine slightest a regular statement of connection betwixt nan White House — pinch separator czar Tom Homan visiting nan Capitol for bipartisan meetings.

Trump’s comments exemplify really eager he is to walk his predetermination bill, which he has branded his No. 1 priority. But it has fixed Democrats an opening to effort and pin blasted connected him for nan DHS shutdown and airdrome chaos that has gradually gotten worse.

The off-ramp that immoderate Republicans support would fundamentally clasp nan Democratic connection to money TSA and nan noncontroversial agencies wrong DHS, while redeeming ICE for a abstracted bill. The Republicans who favour this thought opportunity they tin walk an ICE backing measure connected their ain done nan filibuster-proof “reconciliation” process, while cutting retired Democrats and refusing their demands.

But astatine slightest for nan clip being, Trump’s latest request puts that strategy successful limbo.

Katie Taylor and Scott Wong contributed reporting.

✈️ Read more: ICE agents sent to airports to assistance TSA arsenic partial shutdown drags on, by Suzanne Gamboa, Julia Ainsley and Laura Strickler

Supreme Court conservatives look skeptical of mail-in ballots that get aft Election Day

By Lawrence Hurley

Conservative justices connected nan Supreme Court questioned whether states should beryllium allowed to count ballots that are mailed connected clip but get aft Election Day.

The tribunal coming heard much than 2 hours of arguments arsenic President Donald Trump has ramped up his guidance to mail-in voting and urged Congress to prohibition it successful astir cases.

The tribunal is considering a Mississippi law, akin to measures successful 13 different states, that let for mail-in ballots to beryllium counted arsenic agelong arsenic they are postmarked by Election Day.

Based connected nan oral arguments, nan tribunal is intimately divided connected whether a national rule that sets predetermination dates prevents ballots from being received aft that day. Some justices besides questioned whether a ruling placing limits connected late-arriving ballots would besides raise questions astir nan legality of early voting.

California, New York and Texas are among nan states pinch comparable laws to Mississippi’s. Eligibility for mail-in ballots differs among those states, pinch Mississippi limiting it to a database that includes aged and abnormal people.

If nan tribunal were to onslaught down nan Mississippi statute, it would upend predetermination rules successful nan affected states, arsenic good arsenic perchance for group who unrecorded overseas, including members of nan military. In total, 29 states let extended deadlines for voters overseas and nan military, according to a brief revenge by erstwhile nationalist information officials.

While nan Constitution gives states a awesome domiciled successful overseeing elections, nan ineligible mobility revolves astir nan national rule that sets Election Day arsenic nan Tuesday aft nan first Monday successful November.

Justice Samuel Alito, 1 of nan six conservatives connected nan court, echoed immoderate of Trump’s concerns that late-arriving ballots tin springiness an quality of fraud by radically changing nan trajectory of an predetermination arsenic votes are counted.

He asked whether nan tribunal should return into relationship Congress’ determination to group an predetermination day “for nan intent of combating fraud aliases nan quality of fraud” successful weighing Mississippi’s law.

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That’s each From nan Politics Desk for now. Today’s newsletter was compiled by Adam Wollner.

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