"Still, confusion reigned inside the Democratic caucus on what kind of package Thune (R-S.D.) would ultimately bring to the floor, making it difficult for Democrats to settle on a final strategy. They insisted they need to know whether Thune will bring a standalone defense bill to the floor - or if he'll pair it with other appropriations packages. "If we have to vote with no clarity about that, I would vote against proceeding to the House defense approps bill," Sen. Chris Coons (D-Del.), an appropriator, told Axios on Wednesday."
"Internally, Democrats are split on whether voting to support the defense bill is the best strategic move in the middle of a partisan government shutdown battle. During their closed-door Wednesday caucus meeting, some Democrats argued it would be bad to be seen as voting against funding troops and the Defense Department, per multiple sources. But others think that voting to proceed with the defense bill relinquishes some of the party's leverage over shutdown negotiations, distracting from the goal of drawing concessions from Republicans on health care. "We are weeks away from people getting notified of skyrocketing health care costs," Sen. Mark Kelly (D-Ariz.), a Navy veteran, told Axios. "That should be the focus, not a single defense appropriations bill coming from the House.""
Democrats in the Senate face uncertainty over whether Sen. John Thune will bring a standalone defense appropriations bill to the floor or pair it with other spending packages. Some Democrats demand clarity before voting, with Sen. Chris Coons saying he would oppose proceeding without that information. Thune has not publicly committed to a packaging plan but has expressed openness to combining bills. The caucus is divided between avoiding the appearance of voting against troop funding and preserving leverage in shutdown negotiations to secure concessions on health care. The disagreement reflects deep mistrust between the parties.
Read at Axios
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