U.S. President Donald Trump balked Thursday at signing legislation to avert a partial government shutdown at midnight Friday because it does not include money for the wall he wants built along the U.S.-Mexican border to thwart illegal immigration, VOA reports.
At this moment, the president does not want to go further without border security, which includes steel slats or a wall,” White House press secretary Sarah Sanders said in a statement. “The president is continuing to weigh his options.”
The U.S. leader unexpectedly summoned key Republican lawmakers to the White House for talks about the wall and the temporary spending measure needed to keep about a quarter of government operations from shutting down when current funding expires Friday, just ahead of the Christmas holiday next week.
Trump has voiced increasing frustration that Congress has refused his quest for a $5 billion down payment on the $20 billion wall he says will thwart illegal immigration. Construction of the wall was a popular rallying cry at Trump campaign events during his successful 2016 run for the White House.
But he has not disclosed his intentions on the temporary spending package to avert a closure that would furlough about 800,000 federal workers and curtail some government services. The Senate late Wednesday approved the stopgap funding through Feb. 8 and the House of Representatives was set to vote on it Thursday.
But the outcome of a House vote became grew more uncertain as staunch conservatives took to the airwaves to call on Trump to reject any spending plan that does not include funding for the wall.
The dispute is occurring in the last days of Republican control of both houses of Congress.
Democrats, adamantly opposed to Trump’s wall proposal, picked up 40 seats in the 435-member House of Representatives in the November elections and are set assume control in early January, although Republicans will maintain their edge in the Senate.
Before the meeting at the White House, Trump blamed opposition Democrats for congressional failure to approve the wall, although some Republicans also oppose it.
“The Democrats, who know Steel Slats (Wall) are necessary for Border Security, are putting politics over Country,” he said on Twitter. “What they are just beginning to realize is that I will not sign any of their legislation, including infrastructure, unless it has perfect Border Security. U.S.A. WINS!”
Trump also praised U.S. law enforcement efforts aimed at blocking illegal migration into the U.S.
“With so much talk about the Wall, people are losing sight of the great job being done on our Southern Border by Border Patrol, (the Immigration and Customs Enforcement agency) and our great Military. Remember the Caravans? Well, they didnt get through and none are forming or on their way. Border is tight. Fake News silent!”
Trump, after vowing during the campaign two years ago to make Mexico pay for the wall, has unsuccessfully sought congressional approval for U.S. taxpayer funding for the wall. But with uniform Democratic opposition and scattered Republican opposition as well, Trump has not collected enough votes to win approval for the wall.
Trump last week said he would “proudly” accept responsibility for a shutdown in a fight over the border wall.
But then this week the White House seemed to retreat on the demand for the $5 billion in funding, saying it would try to tap unused funds in various government agencies to build the wall, although Congress typically spells out exactly what funding is supposed to pay for.
Nonetheless, Trump tweeted, “One way or the other, we will win on the Wall!”
In our Country, so much money has been poured down the drain, for so many years, but when it comes to Border Security and the Military, the Democrats fight to the death. We won on the Military, which is being completely rebuilt. One way or the other, we will win on the Wall!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) December 19, 2018