Harvey upends shutdown fight
Congress is eager to deliver disaster relief, but it’s complicating plans to avoid a government shutdown and debt ceiling breach.
Closing down the government as it tries to provide relief to the country’s fourth largest city could also be a PR fiasco for Republicans.
.. top Trump advisers would rather spend September focusing on an emergency package for storm victims, tax reform and other spending requests rather than on a showdown over wall funding.
.. Republican leaders believe adding Harvey assistance would grease the votes and help push the unpopular package through Congress while also giving them cover from their far-right flank.
.. the White House doesn’t want to be seen as shirking the states but also doesn’t want a larded-up package that will draw criticism from the right.