Top House Democrats just threw an unexpected curveball into the government shutdown fight

Joe Perticone

  • The House Minority Whip is now urging Democrats to vote against the bipartisan budget deal on Thursday.

  • Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi said she was not whipping her colleagues to vote no, despite mounting an eight-hour floor speech against a plan that does not address DACA.

  • The budget deal has also lost considerable support from conservatives like the House Freedom Caucus, who adopted a formal position against the plan.


WASHINGTON — House Democrats have reversed course and started whipping members to vote against the bipartisan budget deal to fund the government and avert another shutdown.

House Minority Whip Steny Hoyer urged Democrats to vote no on the budget deal slated for a vote on the House floor late Thursday.

"Unlike in the Senate, there is no agreement that the House will even consider legislation to protect DREAMers," Hoyer wrote in response to a member's question of how to vote on the budget plan. "By leaving this vital issue unresolved, this package leaves DREAMers isolated, without a path to resolution in the House."

The new effort to whip against the budget plan comes after House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi said she would not pursue a coordinated effort to vote no on the plan.

"No, I’m just telling people why I’m voting the way I’m voting," Pelosi told reporters.

A senior Democratic aide told Business Insider that Pelosi was in agreement with Hoyer

Pelosi launched marathon speech for more than eight hours on Wednesday, calling out House Speaker Paul Ryan for not bringing a bill to the floor that would address the expiring Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program for unauthorized immigrants.

But the budget deal will need significant Democratic support in order to pass in the House. The ultra-conservative House Freedom Caucus formally took the position to vote against the plan, though a couple of members are expected to break off and vote for the deal.

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