US Senate to push forward with 2 shutdown votes
AP
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House Speaker Nancy Pelosi of Calif., center, smiles as she helps give out food at World Central Kitchen, the not-for-profit organization started by Chef Jose Andres, Tuesday, Jan. 22, 2019, in Washington. (Photo: AP)

The Senate will push forward with two votes this week to end the government shutdown, but it’s doubtful either will pass.

First will be President Donald Trump’s proposal to provide $5.7 billion for the US-Mexico border wall, some deportation protections for immigrants and supplemental disaster funds for regions hit by hurricanes and wildfires, in exchange for reopening the federal government.

It’s expected to fail.

After that, senators will vote on a House-passed package that would temporarily reopen the government, through Feb. 8, while providing the $12 billion in disaster funds.

Voting is designed to pressure senators to cross party lines to end the shutdown, now in its 32nd day.

An estimated 800,000 federal workers are expected to miss another paycheck Friday.

The Department of Agriculture has announced it will reopen Farm Service Agency offices nationwide to process loans, tax documents and trade aid payments to farmers and ranchers.

The Farm Service Agency had been shuttered since the second week of the shutdown, aside from temporarily reopening select offices last week.

From Jan. 28 through Feb. 1, the offices will be open Monday to Friday. From Feb. 4 through Feb. 8, the offices will be open three days a week. Roughly 9,700 federal workers have been called back to work to staff the offices.

Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue also announced the deadline for farmers to apply for aid payments to offset their trade losses will be extended to Feb. 14.

USDA says these activities were restored because any lapse “would harm funded programs.”

Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer says President Donald Trump did not propose a “good faith” proposal to end the government shutdown.

The New York senator said Tuesday that Trump’s offer to protect some immigrants from deportation in exchange for $5.7 billion from Congress to build the border wall with Mexico is “one-sided, harshly partisan and was made in bad faith.”

Senate Democrats are expected to reject the measure when it comes to a vote later this week as the shutdown drags on.

Now in its 32nd day, the shutdown has left some 800,000 federal workers facing another Friday without paychecks.

Schumer says the White House wasn’t “seriously negotiating” with Democrats. He says Trump’s immigration proposals do not reflect earlier bipartisan efforts.

He says, “That’s not ‘The Art of the Deal.’”