Trump meets with congressional leaders to head off government shutdown
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The Speaker of the House and the Minority Leader are blaming each other for not being willing to work in a bipartisan way to get tax reform done and keep the government from shutting down. (Dec. 7)
AP
WASHINGTON – President Trump and congressional leaders from both parties said Thursday they will look for ways to avoid a government shutdown, as the deadline to fund the government rapidly approaches.
Sen. Chuck Schumer of New York and Rep. Nancy Pelosi of California, the top Democrats in the Senate and House, visit the White House after canceling a similar meeting scheduled for last week because Trump said he didn’t think it would be possible to reach a deal. The meeting will also include Republican leadership, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell of Kentucky and House Speaker Paul Ryan of Wisconsin.Â
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The federal government runs out of funding over the weekend, and it’s up to Congress to prevent a shutdown – yet disagreements over an immigration program and military spending threaten to hold up negotiations. The current spending plan expires at midnight Friday, but lawmakers believe they will approve an extension until at least Dec. 22.
“The administration hopes to find fiscally responsible ways to avoid a government shutdown, address the looming sequester and devastating cuts facing our military, as well as fund important domestic priorities that will encourage economic prosperity and keep Americans safe,” White House spokesperson Lindsay Walters said.
More: Pelosi and Schumer pull out of meeting with Trump after he says a spending deal is unlikely
More: The three things standing between Congress and a government shutdown
In pitching a budget deal, Democrats want Trump and the Republicans to find a permanent solution for the 800,000 undocumented immigrants who were brought into the U.S. illegally by their parents, and received protection under an Obama-era executive order.Â
Trump rescinded the order in September and gave Congress six months to come up with a solution. Democrats say protecting those covered by Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA), called Dreamers, is a top priority before the end of the year and some have threatened to hold government funding hostage over the issue.
Yet Trump and Republicans want to debate immigration next year. In the meantime, they are seeking a bill that increases defense spending.
Citing the number of global threats to the United States, White House Press Secretary Sarah Sanders said national security “should not be held hostage to irresponsible demands.”
Each side is accusing the other of risking a shutdown.
“If a shutdown happens, as the president seemed to be rooting for earlier in his tweet this year, it will fall on his shoulders,” Schumer said. “Nobody here wants to see a shutdown. We Democrats are not interested in one.”
Pelosi tweeted that “we are committed to finding solutions to the urgent priorities the American ppl need us to act on.
Trump said Wednesday that a government shutdown “could happen” because Democrats are seeking “dangerous” immigration policies.
“They want to have illegal immigrants pouring into our country, bringing with them crime, tremendous amounts of crime,” Trump said during a Cabinet meeting. “We don’t want to have that.”
Last week, Trump also cited immigration in his tweet, which led to cancellation of a meeting. In that missive, Trump also said that “Chuck and Nancy” are “weak on Crime and want to substantially RAISE Taxes. I don’t see a deal!”
In agreeing to reschedule the meeting, Schumer and Pelosi said, “we hope the President will go into this meeting with an open mind, rather than deciding that an agreement can’t be reached beforehand.”
Earlier Thursday, Trump met with a group of Republican senators to discuss renewable fuel standards.
While renewable fuels are important to rural American and farmers who generate renewable fuel through production of corn and soybeans, the White House said Trump “is also aware that workers in the refining sector believe the program isn’t working as intended, and should be improved to reduce their compliance burdens.”Â
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