UPDATED: President Trump aims to blame Democrats in a continued showdown over spending fight about border wall money.
Shutdown today if Democrats do not vote for Border Security!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) December 21, 2018
A week ago, President Donald Trump said he’d be “proud” to shut down the government if Congress didn’t give him the money he wanted for his long-promised border wall with Mexico. Now, the government is heading toward a partial shutdown if a spending impasse isn’t settled by midnight. And Trump is saying that if enough Senate Democrats don’t go along with a House-passed plan that includes the border money, then it’ll be a “Democrat Shutdown!”
WASHINGTON (AP) – The Republican-led House has approved funding for President Donald Trump’s border wall in legislation that pushes the government closer to a partial government shutdown.
The House voted 217-185, largely along party lines. The bill now goes to the Senate, where it has almost no chance of passing.
Senators already passed their bill to avert a shutdown by extending funds to Feb. 8. It did not include the wall funding.
Without resolution, government funding for various departments expires at midnight Friday.
President Trump tweeted about the newly passed bill this morning.
Thank you to our GREAT Republican Members of Congress for your VOTE to fund Border Security and the Wall. The final numbers were 217-185 and many have said that the enthusiasm was greater than they have ever seen before. So proud of you all. Now on to the Senate!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) December 21, 2018
Trump had given mixed signals on how hard he would push for $5 billion in border wall funds. But he dug in Thursday, telling House Republican leaders he wouldn’t sign the Senate bill that didn’t have the money.
