President Trump urged Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell to “go nuclear” on his border wall fight Friday morning; telling the GOP lawmaker to use the procedural tool to bypass the filibuster and pass a budget with a simple 51-vote majority.
“Mitch, use the Nuclear Option and get it done! Our Country is counting on you!” posted Trump on Twitter; referencing the maneuver that would end the normally required 60-vote “supermajority.”
Mitch, use the Nuclear Option and get it done! Our Country is counting on you!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) December 21, 2018
The House approved the President’s request Thursday following closed-door meetings at the White House by a 217-185 majority; sending the budget bill to the Senate with Friday’s “shutdown deadline” looming.
BUDGET SHOWDOWN: Trump Summons GOP Leaders to White House over Border Wall
President Trump summoned congressional Republicans to the White House Thursday afternoon; throwing a major “roadblock” in their efforts to pass a “stopgap” budget deal that doesn’t include funding for his border wall.
“A potential deal on Capitol Hill to avert a government shutdown with a short-term spending measure hit a roadblock Thursday as the White House said President Trump ‘does not want to go further’ with anything that does not include sought-after funding for border security,” writes Fox News.
“The president is having a meeting with Republican House members at noon today,” White House Press Secretary Sarah Sanders said in a statement. “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.”
Congress must pass a budget by Friday evening or the government will immediately “shutdown” until an agreement could be reached.
Read the full story at Fox News.
ARMAGEDDON AGAIN? Pelosi Warns Government Could be ‘CLOSED FOREVER’ Over Budget Fight
Likely Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi escalated her war-of-words with the Trump administration Thursday; saying the government could be “closed forever” because of her opposition to the President’s border wall.
Pelosi was speaking with reporters during her weekly press conference at the Capitol when she was asked if she planned to cave to the President’s security demands.
Pelosi predicts the government will stay "closed forever" because she is never going to fund the border wall.
Earlier, Pelosi said she is not going to approve one dime for the Wall. pic.twitter.com/W1hDuOtikw
— Benny (@bennyjohnson) December 13, 2018
“Let’s hope there won’t be a shutdown of the government. That’s a very bad thing to do, maybe the President doesn’t grasp that. That is very harmful to our country at significant cost,” said Pelosi.
“They still voted against opening up the government [the last time.] Does he want to have government closed forever? What’s this about? I know he doesn’t believe in government,” she added.