Page 4 - ARUBA TODAY

A4 U.S. NEWS
Wednesday 7 February 2018

Shutdown less likely as Senate closes in on budget agreement

declared. And then he re- passe later.
peated that sentiment sev- Meanwhile, the House took
eral more times. up a six-week stopgap
Trump's comments came spending bill containing in-
out of left field as Sen- creases for the military that
ate leaders closed in on a long have been demand-
longer-term agreement on ed by Trump and his GOP
legislation to award whop- allies. But the measure ap-
ping spending increases peared increasingly likely
to both the Pentagon and to be rewritten by the Sen-
domestic federal programs ate to include legislation
as well as to pass overdue implementing the brewing
disaster relief money and, budget pact.
perhaps, crucial legislation The budget negotiations,
to increase the govern- conducted chiefly by the
ment's borrowing limit and Senate's top leaders, Re-
avoid possible default. publican Mitch McConnell
Democratic leaders ap- of Kentucky and Chuck
peared no longer intent Schumer of New York,
on linking progress on the have intensified in recent
budget to protections for days — and the looming
younger "Dreamer" immi- government shutdown at
Speaker of the House Paul Ryan, R-Wis., left, and Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif., confer
as they arrive to meet with reporters following a closed-door GOP strategy session at the Capitol grants who were brought midnight Thursday added
in Washington, Tuesday, Feb. 6, 2018. to the country as children urgency to the talks. They
(AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite) and are here illegally. In- met Tuesday morning in an
stead, the Democrats pre- effort to bring the talks to-
By ANDREW TAYLOR day appeared increasingly bility of closing things down pared to reap tens of bil- ward closure, with Schumer
Associated Press likely to avoid a repeat of again if he can't have his lions of dollars for the party's reporting "real progress."
WASHINGTON (AP) — last month's government way on immigration. domestic priorities such as "I think we're on the way to
Buoyed by encouraging shutdown — though Presi- "I'd love to see a shut- combatting opioids while getting an agreement and
prospects of a budget dent Donald Trump unex- down if we can't get this taking their chances on getting it very soon," said
pact, lawmakers on Tues- pectedly raised the possi- stuff taken care of," Trump solving the immigration im- McConnell. q
Push to move US public land managers west wins new support

DENVER (AP) — From its D.C.," said Colorado Re- argued federal land man- natural features instead of other agencies.
headquarters in Washing- publican Sen. Cory Gard- agers should be closer to state borders, and using It has about 9,000 employ-
ton, D.C., the U.S. Bureau ner, who introduced a bill the land they oversee, say- them to restructure over- ees, with fewer than 400
of Land Management to move the headquar- ing Washington doesn't un- sight. in Washington. The rest
oversees some of the na- ters to any of those dozen derstand the region. Now A big part of the bureau's are scattered among 140
tion's most prized natural states: Alaska, Arizona, Cal- they have a powerful ally job is to lease drilling, min- state, district or field offices.
resources: vast expanses of ifornia, Colorado, Idaho, in Interior Secretary Ryan ing and grazing rights on "The larger issue is that states
public lands rich in oil, gas, Montana, Nevada, New Zinke, a Montanan who is public land to private com- and counties that are pre-
coal, grazing for livestock, Mexico, Oregon, Utah, leading President Donald panies and individuals. dominated by public lands
habitat for wildlife, hunting Washington or Wyoming. Trump's charge to roll back That puts it at the center are deeply affected by de-
ranges, fishing streams and The Bureau of Land Man- environmental regulations of a heated national de- cisions made by BLM," said
hiking trails. agement manages a com- and encourage energy de- bate over how those lands Kathleen Sgamma, presi-
But more than 99 percent bined 385,000 square miles velopment on public land. should be managed, and dent of the Western Energy
of that land is in 12 Western (997,000 square kilometers) Zinke said in September he by whom. Alliance in Denver, which
states, hundreds of miles in those states. wants to move much of the The bureau manages more represents the oil and gas
from the nation's capital. Colorado Republican Rep. Interior Department's deci- public land than any other industry. "So it makes sense
Some Western politicians Scott Tipton introduced sion-making to the West, in- federal agency, ranging (for the headquarters) to
— both Republicans and a similar measure in the cluding the Bureau of Land from about 1 square mile (3 be in a state where there
Democrats — are asking House, and three Demo- Management, which is part square kilometers) in Virgin- are a high percentage of
why the bureau's head- crats signed up as co-spon- of the agency. ia to nearly 113,000 square public lands."
quarters isn't in the West as sors: Reps. Kyrsten Sinema The Washington Post re- miles (293,000 square ki- Weiss also suggested Zinke
well. of Arizona, Jared Polis of ported last month Zinke's lometers) in Alaska. That could use a headquarters
"You're dealing with an Colorado and Ed Perlmut- plan includes dividing his doesn't include national move as a cover to get rid
agency that basically has ter of Colorado. department's regions along parks or national forests, of employees he considers
no business in Washington, Some Westerners have long river systems and other which are managed by disloyal. q