Trump Says He’d ‘Love’ to See Another Shutdown over Immigration

By Henry C. Jackson. Congress is on the verge of a budget deal. President Donald Trump is implying he’d be happy to shut it all down if he doesn’t get his way.

The House passed another stopgap funding bill that could avert a government shutdown as talks continued positively toward a broader, long-term agreement, POLITICO’s John Bresnahan, Jennifer Schultes and Sarah Ferris report. The House bill boosts Pentagon spending over the next eight months but only funds non-military programs until March 23, and at their current levels.

That approach is almost certain to be blocked in the Senate. But there’s optimism:

“Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell and Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer met privately on (today) to discuss lifting stiff spending caps as part of the short-term funding package, according to sources in both parties briefed on the talks. The top four congressional leaders believe they are close to clinching a budget deal that significantly boosts defense and domestic spending and ends the cycle of temporary funding measures.” . . .

“If we don’t get rid of these loopholes where killers are allowed to come into our country and continue to kill … if we don’t change it, let’s have a shutdown,” Trump said at a White House roundtable focused on the gang MS-13. “We’ll do a shutdown, and it’s worth it for our country. I’d love to see a shutdown if we don’t get this stuff taken care of.” (Read more from “Trump Says He’d ‘Love’ to See Another Shutdown over Immigration” HERE)

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Trump: ‘I’d Love to See a Shutdown’ over Immigration

By CNN. President Donald Trump said on Tuesday he supports a government shutdown if Democrats won’t agree to tighten immigration laws, undercutting ongoing bipartisan negotiations on Capitol Hill.

The comment, which came during a White House meeting on the violent MS-13 gang, was not well received in the room. Rep. Barbara Comstock, a Virginia Republican who represents a district with thousands of federal workers, confronted Trump about the remark and urged him to avoid another government shutdown.

“If we don’t change it, let’s have a shutdown,” Trump said of the nation’s immigration laws. “We’ll do a shutdown and it’s worth it for our country. I’d love to see a shutdown if we don’t get this stuff taken care of.” (Read more from “Trump: ‘I’d Love to See a Shutdown’ over Immigration” HERE)

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