It was thought a short-term deal was close to being in place to avoid a government shutdown. Now President Trump pushes back. The White House said President Trump "does not want to go further" with any type of agreement that does not include the border security he has sought.
“The president is having a meeting with Republican House members at noon today. At this moment, the president does not want to go further without border security, which includes steel slats or a wall. The president is continuing to weigh his options,” Sarah Sanders said in a statement.
.@PressSec: President @realDonaldTrump will not back down until he can ensure the people of this country are protected. pic.twitter.com/2dUDQu1JmS
— The White House 45 Archived (@WhiteHouse45) December 18, 2018
There is a Friday deadline for Congress for them to fund a portion of the government or risk another shutdown. The $5 billion demand to fund the border wall by President Trump had lawmakers at a standstill.
Per Fox News:
But the Senate late Wednesday approved an interim spending bill that would keep several key departments of the federal government funded through February and avert a partial shutdown. It now heads to the House.
The stopgap measure, though, doesn’t include new funding for a border wall – something Democrats have opposed.
It remains unclear whether Trump would sign or veto the measure if the House approves it, but the Thursday statement signaled Trump may seek changes.
Conservatives in the House already said they won’t support a spending package that doesn’t fund the president’s border wall.
With 2020 looming, President Trump needs to get a deal in place and avoid another government shutdown.
