WASHINGTON (AP) — Senate GOP leader McConnell says he will introduce a bill to fund government through Feb. 8 and avoid a partial shutdown of the federal government.
Susan Page, the Washington bureau chief for USA Today, told WTOP on Wednesday that “We don’t know, exactly, the details” of the resolution, including likely the biggest of all — President Donald Trump’s demand for $5 billion for a border wall with Mexico. Last week, he told Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer and House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi, the likely next House speaker, that he would be “proud” to shut down the government over wall funding.
Page said that demand was “a non-starter” for Democrats, but, calling McConnell “a very skilled legislator,” Page surmised that he “has a deal ready that will pass Democratic muster.”
The government will shut down at midnight Friday night without a deal.
McConnell’s announcement comes a day after Democrats rejected a different proposal – one that that would have maintained funding levels for border security but also added another billion dollars for President Trump to apply to unspecified border operations.
White House counselor Kellyanne Conway was asked on Wednesday whether Trump would back such short-term legislation, and said the president will “take a look at that certainly.”
Conway argues Trump is not softening on his promise to secure the U.S.-Mexico border. Trump appeared to back off his demand for $5 billion to fund a border wall on Tuesday after days of impasse with Congress. Without agreement, a partial government shutdown would happen Friday at midnight.
During the 2016 presidential campaign, Trump said repeatedly that Mexico would pay for the wall.
WTOP’s Mitchell Miller contributed to this report.
