On Sunday morning, President Trump turned to Twitter to try to make his case for a border wall with Mexico — the sticking point in the budget impasse with Congress.
He says aerial drones and other measures “are wonderful and lots of fun” but they’re not the right answer to address the problem of “drugs, gangs, human trafficking, criminal elements and much else from coming into” the United States.
Trump says what the country needs is “a good old fashioned Wall that works!”
The president is demanding billions of dollars for that wall, but Democrats are opposing it. The stalemate has shut down the government, and it looks like Christmas will be over and done with before the government will have a chance to get fully back to business.
The Senate approved a spending bill Thursday, but did not include taxpayer money for Trump’s wall, which he insisted during his 2016 campaign would be paid for by Mexico. The House on Thursday approved its own version by a vote of 217-to-185, which included $5.7 billion for the border wall.
But it was obvious throughout the week that there were not the necessary 60 votes in the Senate to agree to the House bill.
Rep. Steve Stivers, R-Upper Arlington, said he believes “we must pass a funding bill, which includes border security. “ But Stivers added “while securing our border is extremely important, it should not come at the cost of neglecting the fundamental duty of keeping the lights turned on.”
Partial government shutdown: Local jobs impacted https://t.co/z1tYIpBmxc
— Dayton Daily News (@daytondailynews) December 22, 2018
Shutdown likely to last into next year, official says
A top White House official says it’s “very possible” the partial government shutdown will stretch into next year.
Acting chief of staff Mick Mulvaney told “Fox News Sunday” he’s awaiting word from Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer of New York after the White House presented a counteroffer in a dispute over funding for President Donald Trump’s border wall.
Mulvaney declined to outline the offer. But he says it’s between Trump’s $5.7 billion request and the $1.3 billion Democrats offered.
A stalemate over the wall led parts of the government to shut down Saturday after funding for numerous departments and agencies expired.
The shutdown was expected to last through Thursday. Both the House and Senate have adjourned until later in the week.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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