Government shutdown? White House says hopefully not, but recent events ‘discouraging’
As the deadline to reach a deal to fund the government looms early next month, the Trump administration is not too pleased with how talks have progressed throughout recent days.
“We really think that Democrats’ insistence on attaching amnesty provisions that don’t go through the legislative process to must-pass funding bills … something that [Sen.] Chuck Schumer and other Democrats have warned against in the past … I think you should ask [Schumer] about what is actually driving the government toward a potential shutdown,” White House spokesman Raj Shah told reporters on Wednesday.
On Tuesday, President Donald Trump was scheduled to meet with Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) and House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) about the looming deadline. Trump sent out a tweet Tuesday morning saying he didn’t “see a deal” because the pair wanted “illegal immigrants flooding into our country unchecked, are weak on Crime and want to substantially RAISE Taxes.” Schumer and Pelosi responded by canceling the meeting.
Democrats have said they would not sign on to a spending bill unless Republicans agree to protect “Dreamers,” or young immigrants.
Shah said the developments “are discouraging,” but remains hopeful the administration can work out a deal with lawmakers across the aisle in order to avoid a shutdown.
The deadline for lawmakers to reach a deal to keep the government funded is Dec. 8, but the White House has said the Treasury can utilize extraordinary measures in order to keep things running for a short while after that date. In September, President Trump struck a deal with Democrats in Congress to temporarily fund the government through Dec. 8.