When Congress returns this week, it faces a range of difficult issues, needing to be dealt with sooner rather than later. The issues include looming deadlines on government funding, trying to avoid a shutdown, as well as whether young undocumented immigrants (DREAMers) who were part of the deferred action program, should continue to receive protection from the threat of deportation by the US.
The negotiations will the test the ability of the White House and Congress to reach any kind of bipartisan agreement, with a shutdown imminent if the issues cannot be resolved. This would leave major policies, including immigration and health care, unresolved. Another question is whether the short timeline will help or hinder trying to address the many issues that face Congress.
Officials with both the major political parties hope to make progress by 19 January, which is the end date for a short-term government funding bill, passed last month by Congress. Senior Congressional leaders from the Republican and Democratic parties will meet on Wednesday at the Capitol with Marc Short, the legislative affairs director, and Mick Mulvaney, the budget director at the White House. They will continue talks about the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program, which is set to end on 5 March.
The White House and Congressional Republicans are demanding that any deal protecting the ‘Dreamers’ must also include stronger enforcement of the US border. But, Congressional Democrats are adamant that they will not support the funding of the US-Mexico border wall, promised by Trump.